Acacia helmsiana
| Helm's wattle | |
|---|---|
| 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. helmsiana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia helmsiana | |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Racosperma helmsianum (Maiden) Pedley | |
Acacia helmsiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to central and western Australia. It is a glabrous shrub with s-shaped to slightly curved, sometimes straight phyllodes, spherical heads of light- to mid-golden yellow flowers and strongly curved to coiled pods.
Description
Acacia helmsiana is a glabrous shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in), its flowers and young growth resinous. Its phyllodes are s-shaped to slightly curved, sometimes straight, terete to subterete, 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, 0.5–1.0 mm (0.020–0.039 in) wide with a beaked to hooked tip. The phyllodes are dark green, with one brownish vein on each side. The flowers are borne in a spherical head in axils on a peduncle 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long, each head with 20 to 30 light- to mid-golden yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from August to November, and the pods are strongly curved to 1½-coiled, up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy
Acacia helmsiana was first formally described in 1920 by the botanist Joseph Maiden in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales from specimens collected by Richard Helms at "Camp 42" during the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition.[6][7] The specific epithet (helmsiana) honours Richard Helms who collected the type specimen.[8]
Distribution and habitat
This species of wattle is native from near Wiluna in central Western Australia to near Kata Tjuta in the far south west of Northern Territory and in the far west of South Australia.[2][9] It grows on sand dunes and sand plains in red or yellow sandy soils, often with spinifex.[2][4]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Acacia helmsiana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b c Maslin, Bruce R. Orchard (ed.). "Acacia helmsiana". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Acacia helmsiana". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Acacia helmsiana". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Acacia helmsiana". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Maiden, Joseph H. (1920). "Notes on Acacias, No. IV, with descriptions of new species". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 53: 174–176. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Acacia helmsiana". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 220. ISBN 9780645629538.
- ^ "Acacia helmsiana". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 12 March 2026.