Acacia ataxiphylla

Large-fruited Tammin wattle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. ataxiphylla
Binomial name
Acacia ataxiphylla
"Acacia ataxiphylla" occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
Acacia ataxiphylla occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium[3]
Synonyms[2]

Racosperma ataxiphyllum (Benth.) Pedley

Acacia ataxiphylla, commonly known as large-fruited Tammin wattle,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with linear phyllodes, spherical to slightly oblong heads of yellow flowers, and curved, narrowly oblong pods up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long.

Description

Acacia ataxiphylla is a prostrate to spreading shrub or subshrub that typically grows to a height of 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in). Its phyllodes are linear, continuous with the branchlets but lack wings, sometimes pentagonal in cross-section, straight to curved, 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and with a hooked or shallowly turned down tip. There are linear stipules 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long at the base of the phyllodes. The flowers are borne in a spherical to slightly oblong head 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) diameter in axils on a peduncle 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) long with 15 to 20 yellow flowers in each head. Flowering time varies with subspecies and the pods are narrowly oblong and curved, reddish-brown, up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.[4][5][6][7]

Taxonomy

Acacia ataxiphylla was first formally described in 1855 by George Bentham in the journal Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde from specimens collected by James Drummond.[8][9] The specific epithet (ataxiphylla) means 'disordered-leaved', probably referring to the "strongly hooked phyllodes, that give plant a somewhat tangled aspect".[10]

In 1999, Bruce Maslin described two subspecies of Acacia ataxiphylla in the journal Nuytsia, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:[7]

  • Acacia ataxiphylla Benth. subsp. ataxiphylla[11] has flower heads about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, peduncles 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and 0.4 mm (0.016 in) wide, and flowers from November to December or January.[7][12][13]
  • Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magna Maslin[14] has flower heads 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) in diameter, peduncles 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 0.7–0.8 mm (0.028–0.031 in) wide, and flowers in June and July.[7][15][12][16]

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle is scattered and infrequent in the Avon Wheatbelt and Jarrah Forest bioregions of south-western of Western Australia.[6] Subspecies ataxiphylla grows in wandoo and jarra woodland within 30 km (19 mi) north and west of Kojonup.[7] subspecies magna in low heath and is apparently restricted to the Tammin area.[7]

Conservation status

Acacia ataxiphylla is listed as "not threatened",[6] but subsp. ataxiphylla is listed as "Priority Three" ,[12] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat, and subsp. magna is listed as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[6][17]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Malcolm, P. (2012). "Acacia ataxiphylla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T19891997A19997059. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T19891997A19997059.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Acacia ataxiphylla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  3. ^ "DOI Details". doi.ala.org.au. doi:10.26197/5c0b1388984eb. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Acacia ataxiphylla". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "Acacia ataxiphylla". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Maslin, Bruce R. (1999). "Acacia miscellany 16. The taxonomy of fifty-five species of Acacia, primarily Western Australian, in section Phyllodineae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)". Nuytsia. 12 (3): 323–325. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Acacia ataxiphylla". APNI. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  9. ^ Bentham, George (1855). "Plantae Muellerianae: Mimoseae". Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 26 (5): 605. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  10. ^ George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 139. ISBN 9780958034180.
  11. ^ "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. ataxiphylla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Acacia ataxiphyllasubsp. ataxiphylla". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  13. ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. ataxiphylla". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magna". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  15. ^ "Acacia ataxiphyllasubsp. magna". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  16. ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magna". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 2 January 2025.