Acacia peuce
Acacia peuce | |
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Adult specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
Genus: | Acacia |
Species: | A. peuce
|
Binomial name | |
Acacia peuce F.Muell.[2] | |
Occurrence data from AVH | |
Synonyms | |
Racosperma peuce (F.Muell.) Pedley |
Acacia peuce, commonly known as Birdsville wattle, waddy, waddi, or waddy-wood, is a tree species that is endemic to central Australia. The
Description
The
The wood is extremely hard and dense with dark purple-coloured heartwood. The trunk and branches are covered with a fibrous grey-brown bark.[5]
The dull green phyllodes are sometimes continuous with the branchlet but are more often articulate. They are quadrangular with a length of 8 to 12 centimetres (3.1 to 4.7 in), sometimes as long as 40 cm (16 in), with a width of about 1 millimetre (0.04 in).[3]
It is a very slow growing species and can live up to 200 years. Saplings and juvenile trees have a conifer-like habit and can take 3 years to reach a height of 1 metre (3 ft).[6] Some individuals are estimated to live over 500 years.[4]
Inflorescences are simple and axillary supported on peduncles 12 to 15 mm (0.5 to 0.6 in) long. The inflorescence heads are globular and sparse with pentamerous flowers.[3] The flowers are pale yellow[5] and appear in autumn and spring, usually following heavy rain events.[4]
Following flowering the species will form long, flat pods with a papery texture, containing large, flat seeds.[4]
Taxonomy
The species was originally described by the
Acacia peuce is most closely related to A. crombiei and A. carneorum.[3]
Distribution
Although speculated to have been widespread across central Australia during wetter climates 400,000 years ago,
Ecology
The tree usually occurs in pure stands in low open woodlands. Associated species include shrubs, such as
Uses
Indigenous Australians used the hard and heavy wood of the tree to produce clubs or waddy.[3]
The tree is host to various butterflies and their larvae and also provides protective habitat for birds, such as grey falcons and desert finches. The foliage is often chewed by insects, but saplings were eaten by grazers, such as cattle and diprotodons.[8] Pastoralists used the tree to make highly durable and termite-resistant fenceposts and stockyards from the timber.[4][9] Stumps coppice vigorously after being cut for posts.[citation needed]
Gallery
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Acacia peuce woodland, Boulia Shire, Queensland.
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A. peuce habit
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'Waddy tree',Boulia, Queensland.
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Foliage
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Juvenile foliage
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Bark
See also
References
- ^ "National recovery plan for threatened Acacias and Ricinocarpos gloria-media in central Australia" (PDF). Alice Springs, NT: Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ "Acacia peuce". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "World Wide Wattle". Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Acacia peuce — Waddy, Waddi, Waddy-wood, Birdsville Wattle". Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment and Energy. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Waddy-wood Acacia peuce F.Muell" (PDF). Threatened Species of the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Caddie Brain (7 June 2013). "Australia's loneliest tree finds some friends". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Acacia peuce F.Muell. Birdsville Wattle". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ a b "The curious case of Acacia peuce". A Question Of Balance. 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780643069695.