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black wattle

kangaroo thorn, Paradox acacia

Habit Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 10 m. Twigs dark purplish brown to black, slightly flexuous, ridged, puberulent. Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 4 m. Twigs light to dark reddish brown, not flexuous, ridged, densely pubescent; stipular spines present.
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.

phyllodic;

phyllode undulate, straight, lanceolate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–20 × 2–7 mm, venation pinnate, midvein usually eccentric, minor veins prominent, apex acute to obtuse, not apiculate, spine-tipped, surfaces slightly pubescent or glabrous;

gland 1, 2–5 mm distal to leaf base;

pulvinus absent.

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, 8–12 mm diam., 1 (or 2) in leaf axils.

Peduncles

4–9 mm.

5–18 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 1–1.7 mm;

corolla 1.6–2.4 mm;

filaments 3.3–4.3 mm;

ovary glabrous or pubescent.

Legumes

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

flattened, oblong, 30–60 × 4–7 mm, not constricted between seeds.

Seeds

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

aril yellow, club-shaped, 1–2 mm, forming cap on seed.

2n

= 26.

Acacia mearnsii

Acacia paradoxa

Phenology Flowering spring, early summer. Flowering winter, spring.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; se Australia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; se Australia (Tasmania) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America (Chile)]
[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 paradoxa is known from Alameda, Marin, Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz 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. 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. decurrens, A. longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna, A. verticillata
Name authority De Wildeman: Pl. Bequaert. 3: 61. (1925) — (as mearnsi) de Candolle: Cat. Pl. Hort. Monsp., 74. (1813)
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