''Acacia rubricola'' 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'' native to 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 shrub typically grows to a height of and has many branches and heavy foliage and a bushy habit. It has ribbed hairy branchlets with the
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 emerging from the ribs. The flat, evergreen and linear shaped phyllodes have a length of and a width of and are generally straight or slightly sigmoid and have a single yellow translucent longitudinal nerve that is prominent on each side of the phyllode. It flowers between August and October
producing simple
inflorescences that have spherical flower-heads that contain 20 to 35 yellow flowers.
[ After flowering, from late November to January,][ chartaceous dark brown seed pods will form that have a linear shape but are raised over the seeds,. The pods are found up to a length of around and a width of with longitudinally arranged seeds inside. The dark brown seeds have a length of and a width of with a cream coloured ]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 ...
.[
]
Distribution
It is endemic to a small area on the Binjour Plateau in south eastern Queensland near Gayndah growing in red loamy soils as a part of heathland or open '' Eucalyptus'' woodland communities.
See also
* List of ''Acacia'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15288776
rubricola
Flora of Queensland
Plants described in 1999
Taxa named by Leslie Pedley