Acacia pubescens, also known as the downy wattle, is a species of wattle found in the Sydney Basin in eastern New South Wales. The downy wattle is classified as vulnerable; much of its habitat has vanished with the growth of the city of Sydney. As with all wattles, it has compound (pinnate) leaf stems.
Acacia pubescens grows as a shrub to small tree anywhere from 1 to 5 m (3 to 20 ft) high. The smooth bark is grey-brown in colour, and the branches can have a slightly drooping or weeping habit. Like all wattles, the downy wattle has leaf-like structures known as phyllodes which are compound (pinnate) and measure 1.5–6.5 cm (0.59–2.56 in) in length with 3 to 12 pairs of smaller "leaves" or pinnae, each 0.5–2.5 cm (0.20–0.98 in) long, and themselves composite - composed of 5 to 20 pairs of pinnules.
Arranged in racemes, the globular yellow flowers appear from late winter to spring (August to October),[2] peaking in September. Each flower head contains 12 to 20 flowers. Flowering is followed by the development of 3–7 cm long seed pods, which ripen over October to December.[3]
Taxonomyedit
French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat described the downy wattle in 1803, in his Jardin de la Malmaison as Mimosa pubescens.[4] It had been grown at the Château de Malmaison in the garden of the Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.[5]Robert Brown gave it its current name in 1813 in Hortus Kewensis.[6] Common names include downy wattle and hairy-stemmed wattle.[6] Derived from the Latinpubescens "hairy", the species name relates to the hairy stems.[2] English botanist George Bentham classified A. pubescens in the series Botrycephalae in his 1864 Flora Australiensis.[7] Queensland botanist Les Pedley reclassified the species as Racosperma pubescens in 2003, when he proposed placing almost all Australian members of the genus into the new genus Racosperma.[8] However, this name is treated as a synonym of its original name.
Along with other bipinnate wattles, it is classified in the section Botrycephalae within the subgenusPhyllodineae in the genus Acacia. An analysis of genomic and chloroplast DNA along with morphological characters found that the section is polyphyletic, though the close relationships of it and many other species were unable to be resolved.[9]
Endemic to New South Wales, Acacia pubescens is restricted to the Sydney Basin, where it is found in scattered populations from Bardwell Valley to Oakdale and Mountain Lagoon. Most plants are located around Bankstown, Fairfield and Rookwood in southwestern Sydney, and Pitt Town in the city's northwest.[10] Most of its habitat has vanished with the spread of housing in Sydney's suburbs,[5] and it is classified as "Vulnerable".[1] It is found on clay soils and associated plant communities—alluvial- and shale-based soils. It grows in open sclerophyll forest, associated with such species as grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana), broad-leaved ironbark (E. fibrosa), white feather honeymyrtle (Melaleuca decora), and blackthorn (Bursaria spinosa).[3]
Ecologyedit
Acacia pubescens plants are thought to live up to 50 years in the wild.[3] They are able to resprout after bushfires from root suckers.[3]
Referencesedit
^ abNSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Sydney (February 2003). "2. Legislative Context". National recovery plan for the Downy Wattle (Acacia pubescens). Environment Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
^ abcP.G. Kodela. "New South Wales Flora Online: Acacia pubescens". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
^ abcdBenson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1996). "Ecology of Sydney Plant Species Part 4: Dicotyledon family Fabaceae". Cunninghamia. 4 (4): 552–752 [732]. ISSN 0727-9620.
^"Mimosa pubescens Vent". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
^ ab"Acacia pubescens (Vent.) R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
^Bentham, George (1864). "Acacia pycnantha". Flora Australiensis. Vol. 2: Leguminosae to Combretaceae. London, United Kingdom: L. Reeve & Co. p. 416.
^Pedley, Les (2003). "A synopsis of Racosperma C.Mart. (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)". Austrobaileya. 6 (3): 445–96.
^Brown, Gillian K.; Ariati, Siti R.; Murphy, Daniel J.; Miller, Joseph T. H.; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (1991). "Bipinnate acacias (Acacia subg. Phyllodineae sect. Botrycephalae) of eastern Australia are polyphyletic based on DNA sequence data". Australian Systematic Botany. 19 (4): 315–26. doi:10.1071/SB05039.
^Threatened Species Unit, Conservation Programs and Planning Division. (PDF). NSW NPWS. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-05.
April 14, 2024
acacia, pubescens, also, known, downy, wattle, species, wattle, found, sydney, basin, eastern, south, wales, downy, wattle, classified, vulnerable, much, habitat, vanished, with, growth, city, sydney, with, wattles, compound, pinnate, leaf, stems, downy, wattl. Acacia pubescens also known as the downy wattle is a species of wattle found in the Sydney Basin in eastern New South Wales The downy wattle is classified as vulnerable much of its habitat has vanished with the growth of the city of Sydney As with all wattles it has compound pinnate leaf stems Downy wattleConservation statusVulnerable EPBC Act 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder FabalesFamily FabaceaeSubfamily CaesalpinioideaeClade Mimosoid cladeGenus AcaciaSpecies A pubescensBinomial nameAcacia pubescens Vent R Br Occurrence data from AVHSynonymsRacosperma pubescens Vent Pedley Contents 1 Description 2 Taxonomy 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Ecology 5 ReferencesDescription edit nbsp In Chullora Wetlands SydneyAcacia pubescens grows as a shrub to small tree anywhere from 1 to 5 m 3 to 20 ft high The smooth bark is grey brown in colour and the branches can have a slightly drooping or weeping habit Like all wattles the downy wattle has leaf like structures known as phyllodes which are compound pinnate and measure 1 5 6 5 cm 0 59 2 56 in in length with 3 to 12 pairs of smaller leaves or pinnae each 0 5 2 5 cm 0 20 0 98 in long and themselves composite composed of 5 to 20 pairs of pinnules Arranged in racemes the globular yellow flowers appear from late winter to spring August to October 2 peaking in September Each flower head contains 12 to 20 flowers Flowering is followed by the development of 3 7 cm long seed pods which ripen over October to December 3 Taxonomy editFrench botanist Etienne Pierre Ventenat described the downy wattle in 1803 in his Jardin de la Malmaison as Mimosa pubescens 4 It had been grown at the Chateau de Malmaison in the garden of the Empress Josephine de Beauharnais 5 Robert Brown gave it its current name in 1813 in Hortus Kewensis 6 Common names include downy wattle and hairy stemmed wattle 6 Derived from the Latin pubescens hairy the species name relates to the hairy stems 2 English botanist George Bentham classified A pubescens in the series Botrycephalae in his 1864 Flora Australiensis 7 Queensland botanist Les Pedley reclassified the species as Racosperma pubescens in 2003 when he proposed placing almost all Australian members of the genus into the new genus Racosperma 8 However this name is treated as a synonym of its original name Along with other bipinnate wattles it is classified in the section Botrycephalae within the subgenus Phyllodineae in the genus Acacia An analysis of genomic and chloroplast DNA along with morphological characters found that the section is polyphyletic though the close relationships of it and many other species were unable to be resolved 9 Hybrids with Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana and West Wyalong wattle A cardiophylla have been reported 2 Distribution and habitat editEndemic to New South Wales Acacia pubescens is restricted to the Sydney Basin where it is found in scattered populations from Bardwell Valley to Oakdale and Mountain Lagoon Most plants are located around Bankstown Fairfield and Rookwood in southwestern Sydney and Pitt Town in the city s northwest 10 Most of its habitat has vanished with the spread of housing in Sydney s suburbs 5 and it is classified as Vulnerable 1 It is found on clay soils and associated plant communities alluvial and shale based soils It grows in open sclerophyll forest associated with such species as grey box Eucalyptus moluccana broad leaved ironbark E fibrosa white feather honeymyrtle Melaleuca decora and blackthorn Bursaria spinosa 3 Ecology editAcacia pubescens plants are thought to live up to 50 years in the wild 3 They are able to resprout after bushfires from root suckers 3 References edit a b NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Sydney February 2003 2 Legislative Context National recovery plan for the Downy Wattle Acacia pubescens Environment Australia Retrieved 7 May 2012 a b c P G Kodela New South Wales Flora Online Acacia pubescens Royal Botanic Gardens amp Domain Trust Sydney Australia a b c d Benson Doug McDougall Lyn 1996 Ecology of Sydney Plant Species Part 4 Dicotyledon family Fabaceae Cunninghamia 4 4 552 752 732 ISSN 0727 9620 Mimosa pubescens Vent Australian Plant Name Index APNI IBIS database Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian Government a b Acacia pubescens Flora of Australia Online Department of the Environment and Heritage Australian Government a b Acacia pubescens Vent R Br Australian Plant Name Index APNI IBIS database Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian Government Bentham George 1864 Acacia pycnantha Flora Australiensis Vol 2 Leguminosae to Combretaceae London United Kingdom L Reeve amp Co p 416 Pedley Les 2003 A synopsis of Racosperma C Mart Leguminosae Mimosoideae Austrobaileya 6 3 445 96 Brown Gillian K Ariati Siti R Murphy Daniel J Miller Joseph T H Ladiges Pauline Y 1991 Bipinnate acacias Acacia subg Phyllodineae sect Botrycephalae of eastern Australia are polyphyletic based on DNA sequence data Australian Systematic Botany 19 4 315 26 doi 10 1071 SB05039 Threatened Species Unit Conservation Programs and Planning Division Threatened Species Information Acacia pubescens PDF NSW NPWS Archived from the original PDF on 2008 08 05 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acacia pubescens amp oldid 1178599057, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
