''Acacia saxatilis'' is a shrub of 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
endemic to south western
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 .
[ The glabrous and angular branchlets have caducous stipules. 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 ascending to erect and dull grey-green to bluish coloured phyllodes have a narrowly oblong shape with a length of and a width of with an inconspicuous midrib and no lateral nerves.[ It blooms from September to October and produces yellow flowers.][ The simple inflorescences are situated on two-headed ]raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
s and have spherical flower-heads with a diameter of and contain 27 to 35 golden coloured flowers. Following flowering firmly charatceous seed pods form that have a linear shape but are raised the over seeds. The slightly undulate and glabrous pods are curved or form a coil with a length of up to and a width of and are covered in a fine white powdery coating. The glossy seeds inside have an elliptic to oblong-elliptic shape with a length of and a have 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 ...
.[
]
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by the botanist Spencer Le Marchant Moore in 1920 as a part of the work ''A contribution to the Flora of Australia'' as published in the '' Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany''. It was reclassified as ''Racosperma saxatile'' by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to genus ''Acacia'' in 2006.
Distribution
It is native to an area in the Wheatbelt and Mid West
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
regions of Western Australia.
where is found growing in clay, loam, sandy loam, and gravelly sandy clay soils.
See also
* List of ''Acacia'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15288954
saxatilis
Acacias of Western Australia
Plants described in 1920
Taxa named by Spencer Le Marchant Moore