WATTLE

Acacias of Australia

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Acacia dealbata Link subsp. dealbata

Common Name

Silver Wattle or Mimosa

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Extends along the Great Dividing Ra. from Ben Lomond Ra., northern N.S.W., to the Grampians, Vic., usually from 350–1000 m alt., common in Tas. Occasionally naturalised in south-western W.A., and in the Adelaide Hills (Southern Lofty region) and around Penola, fide D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 305 (1992).

Description

Shrub or spreading tree to 30 m high. Leaves (3–) 5–12 (–17) cm long, slightly to very glaucous or sometimes nonglaucous; pinnae 10–26 (–30) pairs, mostly 1.5–5.5 cm long; pinnules (14–) 20–68 pairs, 1.5–5 (–6) mm long. Heads 22–42-flowered, yellow. Pods to 11.5 cm long.

Phenology

Flowers Aug.–Oct.; fruits Nov.–Jan., sometimes to Mar.

Habitat

Grows in open forest or woodland or tall open forest, on high plateaux or in deep gullies.

Specimens

S.A.: Crafers, Mt Lofty Ra., E.S.Booth 176 (AD, NSW). N.S.W.: 32.2 km N of Guyra, Ben Lomond Ra., J.S.Beard 936 (NSW); Bowral–Robertson road, 6 Sept. 1960, M.D.Tindale s.n. (NSW). A.C.T.: along Brindabella road near Cotter Dam, R.D.Hoogland 8555 (CANB, NSW). Vic.: Mt Langi Ghiran, E of Ararat, M.G.Corrick 7453 (MEL, NSW); on road to Lake Mtn near Alpine Reserve, D.B.Foreman 1045 (MEL, NSW). Tas.: Dee Lagoon, K.Hill 1502, L.A.S.Johnson & D.Blaxell (NSW).

Notes

Information on the biological and ecological features, and the utilisation potential, of this subspecies is given in B.R.Maslin and M.W.McDonald, pp. 60–67, AcaciaSearch: Evaluation of Acacia as a woody crop option for southern Australia, RIRDC Publication No. 03/017 (2004).

FOA Reference

Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia

Author

P.G.Kodela

Minor edits by B.R.Maslin & J.Reid