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prickly moses, star acacia

knife acacia, knife-leaf wattle

Habit Shrubs or small trees, erect, to 5 m. Twigs dark reddish brown, not flexuous, prominently ridged, glabrous or pubescent. Shrubs, erect, to 4 m. Twigs bluish to purplish, not flexuous, ridged, glabrous.
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.

phyllodic;

phyllode flat, one side nearly straight, the other rounded or angled, inequilateral, often deltate to triangular, 10–30 × 5–15 mm, venation parallel, midvein prominent, minor veins not obvious, apex acute, apiculate, surfaces glabrous;

gland 1, prominent, near widest part of leaf;

pulvinus 0.3–1 mm.

Inflorescences

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

globose to slightly elongated heads, densely flowered, 3–7 mm, in pseudoracemes of 5–20 heads, usually solitary in distal leaf axils.

Peduncles

2–12 mm.

2–5 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.

5-merous, golden yellow;

calyx 0.5–0.9 mm;

corolla 1.3–1.8 mm;

filaments 2.7–3.5 mm;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

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

flattened, linear, 40–90 × 5–8 mm, slightly constricted between some seeds.

Seeds

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

aril white, club-shaped, from base.

2n

= 26.

Acacia verticillata

Acacia cultriformis

Phenology Flowering fall, winter. Flowering winter–summer.
Habitat Disturbed areas. Disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; se Australia (including Tasmania) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; e Australia [Introduced in North America]
[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.)

Acacia cultriformis is known from Los Angeles, Marin, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura 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. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna
A. auriculiformis, A. baileyana, A. cyclops, A. dealbata, A. decurrens, A. longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. paradoxa, A. pycnantha, A. redolens, A. retinodes, A. saligna, A. verticillata
Synonyms Mimosa verticillata
Name authority (L’Héritier) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 4: 1049. (1806) A. Cunningham ex G. Don: Gen. Hist. 2: 406. (1832)
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