''Acacia baueri'', commonly known as tiny wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus ''
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
'' and the subgenus ''Lycopodiifoliae'' that is native to an area along the coast in eastern Australia.
Description
The small shrub typically grows to a height of with a decumbent to spreading habit. Like most species of ''Acacia'' it has
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 rather than true leaves. They often have a whorled or scattered arrangement and a straight to slightly curved shape with a length and a width of . The grey-green and terete phyllodes are quite leathery and are
glabrous to sparsely hairy and have one longitudinal groove on each surface. It produces yellow flowers between July and September.
The simple
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
s 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 and are supported on long stalks. The spherical flower-heads have a diameter of and contain 8 to 20 bright yellow coloured flowers. The flat, thinly leathery
seed pod
This page provides a glossary of plant morphology. Botanists and other biologists who study plant morphology use a number of different terms to classify and identify plant organs and parts that can be observed using no more than a handheld magnify ...
s that form after flowering are curved just a little and are usually straight-sided or have minimum constriction between the seeds. The pods have a length of and a width of with narrow longitudinal striations. The seeds inside are arranged longitudinally and have a filiform funicle.
[
]
Taxonomy
The specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
honours the botanical artists Franz and Ferdinand Bauer.[
Two known ]subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are recognised:
* ''Acacia baueri'' subsp. ''aspera'', listed as vulnerable in New South Wales
* ''Acacia baueri'' subsp. ''baueri'', listed as vulnerable in Queensland.[
]
Distribution
It is found in coastal regions in central and northern New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
extending north from the Illawarra
The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...
region and into south eastern Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. It is usually situated on plateaus made of sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
in rocky, exposed or damp areas as a part of coastal heathland communities.[ It is found as far south as the Blue Mountains close to Sydney.]
See also
* List of ''Acacia'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15289650
baueri
Flora of Queensland
Flora of New South Wales
Taxa named by George Bentham
Plants described in 1842