Botanical art
Prior names
Acacia brachybotrya f. glabra
Acacia brachybotrya var. glaucophylla
Acacia brachybotrya f. glaucophylla
Acacia dictyocarpa
Common names
Grey Wattle
Grey Mulga-bush
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. Brachybotrya from the Greek 'brachys' meaning short and 'botrys' meaning a spike, referring to the flower on a short penduncle.
Distribution and status
Found across most of South Australia except the more arid part, in open-scrub mallee vegetation and open woodland on a variety of soils. Also found in New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Compact, dense, rounded, spreading, grey-green shrubs to 3 m high and often the same or more across. Leaves obliquely oblanceolate to obovate to 3.5 cm long to 15 mm wide, flat, grey-green, glabrous or silky-hairy. Inflorescences axillary, solitary or mostly 2-5 globular, bright yellow flower-heads. Flowering from July to November. Fruits are long, dark brown, straight or slightly curved pod to 7 cm long and 6 mm wide, raised and sometimes warty. Seeds are dark brown to black, semi-flat, ovoid to 7 mm long and 4 mm wide. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. 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. 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 | 1,400 (42.42 g) | 20+ | 4-Jan-2012 | KHB653 South Eastern | 1-Nov-2012 | 86% | -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.