Botanical art
Common names
Mallee Wreath 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. Triquetra from the Latin 'triquetrus' meaning three edged or three angled, possible referring to the angled branchlets.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and restricted to the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas and Kangaroo Island, growing in coastal sand and limestone, sometimes on coastal cliffs or in swampy scrub and in mallee association. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
A spreading, glabrous shrub to 1.5 m tall. Branchlets angled towards apex and ribbed below leaf bases. Leaves to 25 mm long and 6 mm wide, narrowly oblong, oblanceolate to elliptic, abruptly narrowed at the more or less rounded and excentrically beaked apex, margin straight or slightly curved. Inflorescence axillary, with 1-2 globular, yellow flower-heads. Flowering between July and October. Fruits are dark brown, linear pod to 60 mm long and 4 mm wide, straight to shallowly curved. Seeds are hard, brown to black, ovoid to 3 mm long and 2 mm wide. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and December. 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 | 11,350 (74 g) 11,350 (74 g) | 100+ | 30-Nov-2006 | TST112 Yorke Peninsula | 1-Aug-2007 | 90% | -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.