''Acacia riceana'', commonly known as Rice's wattle, is a small, fast-growing, evergreen shrub to small tree in the

legume family The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Description

''Acacia riceana'' forms a dense prickly bush up to 5 m (16 ft) in height in the wettest areas of its range. It is one of several species to have narrow pointed phyllodes but is distinctive in having them arranged in groups of 3 to 6. ''Acacia riceana'' bears close resemblance to '' Acacia derwentiana'' which has similar phyllodes (only narrower) and distribution. It has dense foliage with weeping branches and flowers from July to January with seed pods maturing in January and February.

Taxonomy and naming

English botanist John Stevens Henslow described Rice's wattle in 1839 from a plant grown in Cambridge University Botanic Garden, from seed sent from Tasmania. It still bears its original name. The species was named in honour of Thomas Spring Rice, who was

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

at the time. It is related to '' Acacia axillaris'', but this species has erect rather than weeping branches.

Distribution

''Acacia riceana'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the southeast corner of Tasmania, where it grows from sea level to 900 m (3000 ft). Its main populations center around the Derwent, Huon and

Prosser River Prosser may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;United States * Prosser, California, a former settlement * Prosser Creek, California * Prosser, Nebraska, a village * Prosser, Washington, a city ;Australia * Electoral division of Prosser, Tasmania * Prosse ...

Valleys, although small populations are also located on the slopes of the Ironbound Range in the state's far south. The species also grows densely on slopes overlooking the D'Entrecasteaux Channel from Southport to

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and Westbrook, Kent, ...

. Outlying populations grow on the Tasman/Forester Peninsula and

South Bruny Island Bruny Island (Bruny Island language, Nuenonne: Lunawanna-alonnah) is a island located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. The island is separated from the Tasmanian mainland by the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, and its east coast li ...

with the most remote being located on Maria Island.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4670999 riceana Fabales of Australia Trees of Australia Endemic flora of Tasmania