''Acacia leprosa'', also known as cinnamon wattle, is an

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 ...

native to Australia. It occurs in woodland in

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and Victoria. It occurs as a hardy shrub or small tree. The phyllodes (a modified flat leaf-like structure arising through an expanded petiole replacing the leaf blade) are 3–14 cm long and contain oil glands. The lemon-yellow

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s occur as globular heads in clusters in the leaf axils. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is flat seed pod. A number of varieties are currently recognised within the species including: *''A. leprosa'' var. ''crassipoda'' Maslin & D.J.Murphy -

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: Pyrenees Range, Victoria *''A. leprosa'' var. ''graveolens'' Maslin & D.J.Murphy - formerly known as ''

Acacia verniciflua ''Acacia verniciflua'', commonly known as varnish wattle, is a shrub or small tree species that is endemic to Australia. It has an erect or spreading habit, growing to between 1 and 6 metres high, The phyllodes are often sticky and lustrous an ...

'' (Southern variant), type:

Gippsland Lakes The Gippsland Lakes are a network of coastal lakes, marshes and lagoons in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering an overall area of about between the rural towns of Lakes Entrance, Bairnsdale and Sale. The largest of the lakes are La ...

*''A. leprosa'' Sieber ex DC. var. ''leprosa'' *''A. leprosa'' var. ''magna'' Maslin & D.J.Murphy - type: Cape Otway, Victoria *''A. leprosa'' var. ''uninervia'' Maslin & D.J.Murphy, formerly known as ''A. leprosa'' (large phyllode variant), type: near

Healesville Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Healesville recorded a population of 7,589 in the 2021 census. He ...

, Victoria Former varieties include: *''A. leprosa'' var. ''binervis'' F.Muell., currently included in ''

'' *''A.leprosa'' var. ''tenuifolia'' Benth. also known as ''A. leprosa'' (Seymour variant), currently included in ''

'' *''A. leprosa'' (Dandenong Range variant), ''A. leprosa'' var. ''elongata'' Guilf. om. inval./small> or ''A. leprosa'' var. Reclinata, currently known as ''

Acacia stictophylla ''Acacia stictophylla'', also known as Dandenong Range cinnamon wattle, is a species of ''Acacia'' that is endemic to Victoria, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comp ...

'' The cultivar ''Acacia leprosa'' 'Scarlet Blaze' is the only Australian wattle to have

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

inflorescences (all the rest are yellow or cream-colored, except for '' Acacia purpureapetala'', which has purple flowers). It was discovered northeast of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

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 ...

, in 1995, and released commercially in 2001. Acacia leprosa is mentioned in ''The Australasian Sketcher'' of Saturday 19 June 1880 in part two of an article on the Mallee Country, as one of the 'beautiful shrubs' found in the region and identified by Mr Guilfoyle, director of the botanic gardens.

Cultivation

The species prefers a well-drained sunny or lightly shaded situation. Propagation is by pretreated seeds or cuttings.

References

External links

* http://www.anbg.gov.au/federation-flora/vic-scarlet-blaze/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20041212104011/http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/horticulture/scarlet_blaze {{Taxonbar, from=Q4670955 leprosa Fabales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state)