Acacia mearnsii |
Acacia decurrens |
|
|---|---|---|
| black wattle |
green wattle |
|
| Habit | Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 10 m. | Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 15 m. |
| Twigs | dark purplish brown to black, slightly flexuous, ridged, puberulent. |
dark reddish brown to nearly black, slightly flexuous, ridged, usually glabrous. |
| Leaves | 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. |
compound, 70–150 mm; petiole 7–33 mm, glabrous, gland present, below proximalmost pinna pair, 1–2 mm diam., glabrous; rachis glands between most pinna pairs; pinnae 3–13, 35–80 mm, 7–20 mm between pinna pairs; leaflets 15–45 pairs per pinna, blades linear, 5–15 × 0.3–0.6 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse to acute, not apiculate, surfaces glabrous. |
| Inflorescences | globose heads, densely flowered, 5–9 mm diam., in axillary pseudoracemes of 20–35 heads or terminal pseudopanicles of 1–10 pseudoracemes. |
globose heads, densely flowered, 5–8 mm diam., in axillary pseudoracemes of 10–30 heads or terminal pseudopanicles of 1–15 pseudoracemes. |
| Peduncles | 4–9 mm. |
2–4 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, bright yellow; calyx 0.6–1.2 mm; corolla 1.4–2 mm; filaments 2.5–3.5 mm; ovary glabrous. |
| Legumes | flattened, linear, 30–140 × 4–8 mm, slightly constricted between seeds. |
flattened, linear, 20–105 × 4–8 mm, slightly constricted between seeds. |
| Seeds | aril light yellow, obovate, 1–2 mm, forming cap on seed. |
aril light yellow, obovate, 2–3 mm, forming cap on seed. |
| 2n | = 26. |
= 26. |
Acacia mearnsii |
Acacia decurrens |
|
| Phenology | Flowering spring, early summer. | Flowering year-round. |
| Habitat | Disturbed areas. | Disturbed areas. |
| Elevation | 0–400 m. [0–1300 ft.] | 500–600 m. [1600–2000 ft.] |
| Distribution |
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America] |
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America] |
| Discussion | 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.) |
Acacia decurrens is known from Mendocino, San Diego, Solano, and Ventura counties, and one possible record in Humboldt County. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
| Parent taxa | ||
| Sibling taxa | ||
| Name authority | De Wildeman: Pl. Bequaert. 3: 61. (1925) — (as mearnsi) | Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 4: 1072. (1806) |
| Source | FNA vol. 11. | FNA vol. 11. |
| Web links | ||