''Acacia hendersonii'' 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 ''Phyllodineae'' that is native to parts of north eastern
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
The
glabrous and resinous shrub typically grows to a height of up to and has a spreading habit. It has slender, prominently ribbed branchlets. 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. The flat, thick and evergreen phyllodes have a linear shape and are in length and wide and are straight or slightly decurved at the apex with one prominent vein on each face. When it blooms it produced 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 axils and have spherical flower-heads containing 30 to 35 yellow coloured flowers.
[
]
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by the botanist Leslie Pedley
Leslie Pedley (19 May 1930 – 27 November 2018)IPNILeslie Pedley/ref> was an Australian botanist who specialised in the genus ''Acacia''. He is notable for bringing into use the generic name ''Racosperma'', creating a split in the genus, which r ...
in 1999 as part of the work ''Notes on Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) chiefly from northern Australia'' as published in the journal '' Austrobaileya''. It is part of the Acacia johnsonii group, and it is also similar to the more common Acacia resinicostata.
Distribution
The shrub has a limited distribution on the Blackdown tableland area of the Central Highlands Region
Central Highlands Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia.
History
'' Wadja'' (also known as ''Wadjigu'', ''Wadya'', ''Wadjainngo'', ''Mandalgu'', and ''Wadjigun)'' is an Australian Aboriginal language in Central Queensland ...
of 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_ ...
where it is found on 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) ...
plateaus growing in skeletal sandy soils among ''Eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...
'' and ''Acacia'' woodland communities.
See also
* List of ''Acacia'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q9565268
hendersonii
Endemic flora of Queensland
Plants described in 1999
Taxa named by Leslie Pedley