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prickly moses, star acacia

Habit Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 5 m. Twigs dark reddish brown, not flexuous, prominently ridged, glabrous or pubescent.
Leaves

phyllodic; fascicled or whorled;

phyllode quadrangular, straight, linear, acicular, 5–20 × 0.5–1.5 mm, venation parallel, midvein prominent, minor veins not obvious, apex acuminate, sharp-pointed, surfaces mostly glabrous;

gland 1 (usually not obvious, disc-shaped), 3–6 mm distal to leaf base;

pulvinus absent.

Inflorescences

cylindrical spikes, densely flowered, 10–45 × 4–7 mm, solitary in leaf axils.

Peduncles

2–12 mm.

Flowers

5-merous, pale yellow;

calyx 0.5–0.8 mm;

corolla 1.1–1.6 mm;

filaments 2.2–3.2 mm;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

flattened, linear, 20–90 × 2.7–5 mm, not constricted between seeds.

Seeds

aril light yellow, folded and thickened, forming cap on seed.

2n

= 26.

Acacia verticillata

Phenology Flowering fall, winter.
Habitat Disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; se Australia (including Tasmania) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Acacia verticillata is known from Marin, Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Acacia
Sibling taxa
A. auriculiformis, A. baileyana, A. cultriformis, A. cyclops, A. dealbata, A. decurrens, A. longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna
Synonyms Mimosa verticillata
Name authority (L’Héritier) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 4: 1049. (1806)
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