''Acacia ayersiana'' is a plant that grows in arid areas of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

It grows as a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or tree up to in height. It has blue-grey

phyllode Phyllodes are modified petioles or leaf stems, which are leaf-like in appearance and function. In some plants, these become flattened and widened, while the leaf itself becomes reduced or vanishes altogether. Thus the phyllode comes to serve the ...

s, and yellow flowers from September to October. The branchlets are covered with small white hairs have resinous red-brown coloured ribs with red hairs on new growth. Like most species of ''Acacia'' it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The phyllodes have a broad lanceolate shape and can be straight or curved with a length of and a width of with thick longitudinal nerves and a prominent marginal nerve. The simple inflorescences occur singly in the

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s as flower-spikes that are in length. The chartaceous, brown seed pods that form after flowering are shortly stipitate with a straight oblong shape and a length of up to and a width of . The seeds are transversely arranged in the pods and have an oblong shape with a length of up to and a width of and have a white

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

Taxonomy

It was first published by

John Maconochie John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

in 1978, based on specimen material collected by him at Ayers Rock in 1930. It is closely related to '' A. aneura'' (Mulga). There are two varieties: ''A. a.'' var. ''ayersiana'' and ''A. a.'' var. ''latifolia''.

Distribution

It is widely distributed throughout arid and semi-arid parts of Australia, occurring in Western Australia, South Australia, and southern parts of the Northern Territory. It is usually found in red sandy or loamy soils, often along creek lines or in the swales of

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2822192 ayersiana Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of South Australia Acacias of Western Australia Fabales of Australia Plants described in 1978

Description

Taxonomy

Distribution

See also

References