Prior names
Acacia anceps (winged variant)
Common names
West Coast Wattle
Angled Wattle
Etymology
Acacia from the Greek 'akakia' and derived from 'ake' or 'akis' meaning a sharp point or thorn and 'akazo' meaning to sharpen. Dioscorides, the Greek physician and botanist used the word in the 1st century AD for the Egyptian thorn tree, Acacia arabica. Winged manual script name referring to the enlarged section at the base of the phyllodes which are sometimes narrowly winged.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found on the western Eyre Peninsula and the lower York Peninsula, growing in calcareous sand and shallow red-brown sand, in coastal dune vegetation or open scrub. Also found in Western Australia. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in Western Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect, rigid, glabrous, spreading shrubs to 3 m high with branchlets thick and acutely angled. Phyllodes elliptic to 5.5 cm long and 3 cm wide, a very reduced pulvinus (joint at base of leaf stalk) and continuous with the branchlets (that are sometimes narrowly winged) along their adaxial edge, thick and leathery. This species is distinguished most readily from typical Acacia anceps which have phyllodes oblanceolate (to 65 mm long) and a distinct pulvinus. Inflorescences axillary with 1 dense golden globular flower-head. Flowering between September and February. Fruits are red to brown pod, flat often undulating, straight or curved with wrinkled or prominent transverse lines and thick vein-like margins. Seeds are dark brown, black or mottled elliptic seeds to 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, with a pale yellow aril wrapped around the seed. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and February. Collect mature pods that are turning brown with hard, dark seeds inside. Place the pods in a tray and leave to dry for 1-2 weeks or until the pods begin to split. Then rub the dried pods to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Seed viability is usually high. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking or softening the seed coat).
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 1,700 (27.49 g) 1,700 (27.49 g) | 100+ | 20-Dec-2017 | JRG641 Eyre Peninsula | 30-Jun-2018 | 94% | -18°C |