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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
from FNA
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America]
[BONAP county map]
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 Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Acacia Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Acacia
Sibling taxa
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
A. auriculiformis, A. baileyana, A. cultriformis, A. cyclops, A. dealbata, A. longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna, A. verticillata
Name authority De Wildeman: Pl. Bequaert. 3: 61. (1925) — (as mearnsi) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 4: 1072. (1806)
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
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