Acacia hemiteles
| Tan 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. hemiteles
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia hemiteles | |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
List
| |
Acacia hemiteles, commonly known as tan wattle or broombush,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to western Australia. It is a dense, spreading, glabrous shrub with many stems, narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong or linear phyllodes, flowers borne in spherical heads of golden yellow flowers, and slightly curved to coiled, papery pods.
Description
Acacia hemiteles is a dense, spreading, multi-stemmed, glabrous shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in), and has angled to flattened branchlets at the ends. Its phyllodes are narrowly elliptic to more or less narrowly oblong or linear, narrowed at both ends, straight to curved, 40–100 mm (1.6–3.9 in) long and 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) wide. The midrib and veins at the edges are prominent and there is a gland up to 3 mm (0.12 in) above the pulvinus. The flowers are borne in four to seven spherical heads in racemes in axils on peduncles 5–11 mm (0.20–0.43 in) long and enclosed in overlapping brown bracts when young. Each head has 20 to 30 golden yellow flowers. The pods are papery, slightly curved to 1½-coiled, up to 80 mm (3.1 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide. The seeds are oblong to elliptic or egg-shaped, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, dark brown to black and lack an aril.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
Acacia hemiteles 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.[5][6] The specific epithet (hemiteles) means 'half complete'. Bentham did not explain the epithet, but maybe was referring to the sepals being sometimes absent.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Tan wattle is found from Kanandah Station on the Nullarbor Plain and west to Ongerup and Canna in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Great Victoria Desert, Mallee, Murchison, Nullarbor and Yalgoo bioregions of Western Australia and near Maralinga in South Australia. It grows in a range of soils in woodland or shrubland, sometimes on laterite or granite rocks.[2][8]
Conservation status
Acacia hemiteles is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Acacia hemiteles". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ a b c Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia hemiteles". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ Maslin, Bruce R. "Acacia hemiteles". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Acacia hemiteles". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Acacia hemiteles". APNI. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1853). "Diagnoses et descriptiones plantarum novarum, quas in Nova Hollandia". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange. 26 (5): 619. 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.
- ^ a b "Acacia hemiteles". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.