Botanical art
Prior names
Racosperma dictyophlebum
Common names
Waxy Wattle
Net-veined 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. Dictyophleba from the Greek 'dictyon' meaning net or network and 'phlebs' meaning a vein, referring to the prominent net-veined phyllodes.
Distribution and status
Found scattered in the northern part of South Australia from the far North-Western region, eastward to the Lake Eyre region in the Simpson Desert area in open woodland or hummock grassland in red siliceous sands. Also found in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect, compact, spreading, glabrous, resinous shrubs to 4 m high, sometimes rather open and straggly with a short trunk and long arching branches. Foliage appearing whitish to pale green. Bark grey-brown, smooth on branches, rough at the base. Leaves oblanceolate or more or less narrow-elliptic to 7 cm long and 15 mm wide, straight or slightly curved. Inflorescences simple and axillary, solitary or twin with globular, yellow flower-heads. Flowering between April and September. Fruits are long, light brown, broad and flattish pod to 9 cm long and 15 mm wide. Seeds are hard, dark brown, elliptical to ovoid seed to 8 mm long and 4 mm wide. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and November. 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 air tight container in a cool and dry place. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 85%. 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 | 4,890 (107.7 g) 4,890 (107.7 g) | 30+ | 25-Oct-2007 | DJD921 Lake Eyre | 19-Sep-2008 | 85% | -18°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.