''Acacia triptera'', commonly known as spurwing wattle, is an erect or spreading

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

which 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 ...

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

It grows to high and has an erect to spreading habit with terete and glabrous branchlets. Like most species of ''Acacia'' it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The decurrent

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 which are falcate or sigmoidal in shape and have a length of with a width of . The evergreen phyllodes have many longitudinal veins that are very close together. The bright yellow flowerheads appear from August to November. The 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 are found in pairs in the

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s with cylindrical flower-heads that have a length of and are packed with golden flowers. Flowering is followed by curled or twisted brown seed pods which are and wide.

Distribution

The species occurs on sandhills or rocky outcrops in mallee, woodland or heath in Victoria,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

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_ ...

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1842 by English botanist George Bentham in the ''

London Journal of Botany London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

''. His description was based on plant material collected from north of the

Warrumbungles The Warrumbungles is a mountain range in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town is Coonabarabran. The area is easiest accessed from the Newell Highway which is the major road link directly between Melbourne, Victoria ...

Cultivation

Established plants tolerate dry periods and moderate frost.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2822207 triptera Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Victoria (state) Fabales of Australia Plants described in 1842 Taxa named by George Bentham