Botanical art
Prior names
Acacia rubida, partly
Acacia retinodes var. oraria
Common names
False Golden Wattle
Coast Golden 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. Leiophylla from the Greek 'leios' meaning smooth and 'phyllon' meaning a leaf.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found from Coffin Bay on Eyre Peninsula to Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and the South-east, growing near coastal regions in open scrub associated with Eucalyptus diversifolia, Acacia pycnantha and Acacia longifolia var. sophorae, on red shallow porous, loamy calcareous sands and leached sands. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect or spreading shrubs to 2.5 m high, either dense compact and single stemmed or spreading and open- branched with a number of stems arising from near ground level; branchlets glabrous, terete to slightly angular, flexuose towards the apex. Leaves lanceolate to 17 cm long and 25 mm wide, usually broadest above the middle; falcate, glabrous, pale green with mid-vein obvious; glands small on upper margins. Flower-spike of axillary racemes with globular, bright yellow flower-heads. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are dark brown linear pod to 12.5 cm long and 6 mm wide, more or less straight, raised over seeds, glabrous, with margins slightly constricted between seeds. Seeds are dark brown to black, ovoid to 5 mm long and 3 mm wide, with a pale yellow aril surrounding the whole seed. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November 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 MSB | 18,000 (325 g) 18,000 (325 g) | 60 | 16-Dec-2004 | MKJ54 Kangaroo Island | 31-Mar-2006 | 80% | -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.