Acacia gibsonii
| Gibson's wattle | |
|---|---|
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Acacia |
| Species: | A. gibsonii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia gibsonii | |
Acacia gibsonii, commonly known as Gibson's wattle,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, somewhat straggly shrub with terete, reddish brown branchlets, oblong phyllodes, spikes of pale yellow flowers and tightly coiled, thinly leathery pods prominently rounded over the seeds.
Description
Acacia gibsonii is a low, spreading, somewhat straggly shrub that typically grows to 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high and to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) wide. Its branchlets are terete, glabrous and reddish brown aging to light grey. The phyllodes are oblong, sometimes slightly s-shaped, 5–13 mm (0.20–0.51 in) long, 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) wide and glabrous, apart from minute, red-brown glandular hairs on the veins and edges of most phyllodes. There are three prominent veins on each face of the phyllodes. The flowers are golden yellow and borne in a more or less sessile spike 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long in axils. Flowering occurs from September to October and the pods are tightly coiled, thinly leathery, about 12 mm (0.47 in) long, glabrous and brown. The seeds are oblong, 2.0–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long, 1.5 mm (0.059 in) wide, compressed and black with a cap-shaped, creamy white aril that is only slightly shorter than the seed.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
Acacia gibsonii was first formally described in 2013 by Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Neil Gibson, south of the Hyden-Norseman road in 2012.[3][5] The specific epithet (gibsonii) honours "Dr Neil Gibson, Principal Research Scientist with the Department of Parks and Wildlife".[3]
Distribution
This species of wattle is only known from the type location where it is reasonably common in red loam on gentle rocky slopes in shrubland dominated by Allocasuarina campestris, Allocasuarina globosa and Calothamnus quadrifidus, in the Coolgardie bioregion of Western Australia.[2][6]
Conservation status
Acacia gibsonii is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[6] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations where it is potentially at risk.[7]
See also
References
- ^ "Acacia gibsonii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Acacia gibsonii". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b c Maslin, Bruce R. (2013). "Acacia gibsonii, a distinctive, rare new species of Acacia sect. Juliflorae (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from south-west Western Australia". Nuytsia. 23: 277–280. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia gibsonii". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ "Acacia gibsonii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Acacia gibsonii". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 26 January 2026.