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blue wattle, silver wattle

black wattle

Habit Shrubs or trees, erect, to 30 m. Twigs dark purplish brown to black, slightly flexuous, ridged, pruinose, densely puberulent. Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 10 m. Twigs dark purplish brown to black, slightly flexuous, ridged, puberulent.
Leaves

compound, 80–170 mm;

petiole 8–22 mm, densely puberulent, gland present, below proximalmost pinna pair, 0.5–1 mm diam., puberulent;

rachis gland between most pinna pairs;

pinnae 6–30 pairs, 15–55 mm, 2–7 mm between pinna pairs;

leaflets 15–70 pairs per pinna, blades linear, 2–5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse to acute, not apiculate, surfaces densely puberulent.

compound, 50–140 mm;

petiole 5–30 mm, puberulent, gland present, below proximalmost pinna pair, 0.7–1.5 mm diam., puberulent;

rachis glands scattered, with some between pinna pairs (at pinna pair nodes and internodes);

pinnae 7–31 pairs, 15–70 mm, 3–7 mm between pinna pairs;

leaflets 20–70 pairs per pinna, blades linear, 1.5–3.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse, not apiculate, surfaces puberulent.

Inflorescences

globose heads, densely flowered, 6–9 mm diam., in axillary pseudoracemes of 11–30 heads or terminal pseudopanicles of 1–15 pseudoracemes.

globose heads, densely flowered, 5–9 mm diam., in axillary pseudoracemes of 20–35 heads or terminal pseudopanicles of 1–10 pseudoracemes.

Peduncles

2–6 mm.

4–9 mm.

Flowers

5-merous, pale yellow to cream;

calyx 0.6–1.1 mm;

corolla 1.4–2 mm;

filaments 3.5–4.5 mm;

ovary glabrous.

5-merous, pale yellow to cream;

calyx 0.6–1.1 mm;

corolla 1.4–2 mm;

filaments 3.5–4.5 mm;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

flattened, oblong, 20–110 × 6–14 mm, constricted between some seeds.

flattened, linear, 30–140 × 4–8 mm, slightly constricted between seeds.

Seeds

aril light yellow, obovate, 2–3 mm, forming cap on seed.

aril light yellow, obovate, 1–2 mm, forming cap on seed.

2n

= 26.

= 26.

Acacia dealbata

Acacia mearnsii

Phenology Flowering winter, early spring. Flowering spring, early summer.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acacia dealbata is known from Butte, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Riverside, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Acacia mearnsii is known from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Acacia Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Acacia
Sibling taxa
A. auriculiformis, A. baileyana, A. cultriformis, A. cyclops, A. decurrens, A. longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna, A. verticillata
A. auriculiformis, A. baileyana, A. cultriformis, A. cyclops, A. dealbata, A. decurrens, A. longifolia, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna, A. verticillata
Name authority Link: Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 2: 445. (1822) De Wildeman: Pl. Bequaert. 3: 61. (1925) — (as mearnsi)
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