''Acacia leiocalyx'' (

black wattle Black wattle is the common name for a number of species of trees that are native to Australia, as listed below: *''Acacia aulacocarpa'' *'' Acacia auriculiformis'', also known as Darwin Black Wattle or northern black wattle; *'' Acacia concurre ...

, early flowering black wattle, lamb's tail wattle, curracabah) grows in

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_ ...

, Australia and as far south as

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. It is widespread and common in

eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

woodlands, especially on well-drained, shallow soils. It is short-lived and grows 6–7 metres (20–23 ft.) tall, with a trunk about 180 mm (7 inches) in diameter.''Acacia leiocalyx'' (Early flowering wattle). www.ttit.id.au/treepages
/ref>''Acacia leiocalyx'' World Wide Wattle
/ref>

Description

This is a small ''

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 ...

'' tree with furrowed bark. It has sickle-shaped green leaves with prominent veins, with the bottom two joined near the base. Its flowers are yellow, in narrow spikes. Its seeds pods are narrow and rather curly and grow in loose bunches. It usually flowers from June to October.NSW PlantNet: ''Acacia leiocalyx''
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Taxonomy

There were several closely related trees which used to all come under the name of ''Acacia cunninghamii'', but have been now identified as a number of separate species. The ''Acacia cunninghamii'' 'group' all have spiky inflorescences and large

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. They are closely interrelated and taxonomically 'difficult' species, and are often confused and poorly defined.''Acacia leiocalyx'': Look for diagnosis
/ref> ''A. leiocalyx'' is most closely related to '' Acacia concurrens'', but the differences between the two species are subtle. In ''A. leiocalyx'' the small branches are smooth, sharply angular and usually red-brown, the

pulvinus A pulvinus (pl. ''pulvini'') is a joint-like thickening at the base of a plant leaf or leaflet that facilitates growth-independent movement. Pulvini are common, for example, in members of the bean family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) and the prayer plant ...

is short and red, and the calyx is hairless, or almost so. ''A. concurrens'', on the other hand, has stouter, angular branchlets which are scaly and usually not distinctly reddish, a long grey-green pulvinus, and calyces with a few stiff short hairs towards their base. Some intermediates or hybrids between the two species occur in northern N.S.W. It is also related to ''Acacia crassa''. Two subspecies are recognised: ''Acacia leiocalyx'' (Domin) Pedley subsp. ''leiocalyx'' and ''Acacia leiocalyx'' subsp. ''herveyensis" Pedley, ''Austrobaileya'' 1: 180 (1978) Acacia leiocalyx P6100022

Distribution

"The species includes many different forms which are widespread in

from the coast to more than 325 km inland, mostly on stony or gravelly soils. It is eaten by livestock in times of scarcity but is not of major importance as a drought fodder (Everist, 1969)."Atlas of Living Australia (ALA): ''Acacia leiocalyx'' Distribution
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Uses

The timber is colourful but splits easily even with the end grain sealed. The seeds and gum are apparently edible, but caution should be taken - especially as there are so many difficult to identify similar species.''Acacia leiocalyx'': Noosa's Native Plants
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References

External links

Australian Plant Name Index''A. leiocalyx'' World Wide Wattle website.For Photo - Australian Plant Image

International Plant Name Index.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4670951 leiocalyx Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland