Acacia pulchella

Prickly Moses
	A. pulchella
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. pulchella
Binomial name
	Acacia pulchella; R.Br.
	Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms
	Acacia pulchella f. typica E.Pritz.; Racosperma pulchellum ( R.Br.) Pedley

Acacia pulchella, commonly known as prickly moses

Perth and in the Darling Range

.

Description

The shrub typically grows to a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) branches freely, and has flexuose and spine-tipped pale green branchlets and 1 mm (0.039 in)

seed pods that form after flowering have a narrowly oblong shape and are flat or slightly undulate with a length of 1.5 to 5 cm (0.59 to 1.97 in) and a width of 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in).The brown seeds inside are mostly oblong and 2.5 to 4.5 mm (0.098 to 0.177 in) in length.^[4]

The name "prickly moses" is said to be a corruption of "prickly mimosa".

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1813 by Robert Brown.^[5]^[6]

The specific epithet is derived from Latin and names small and beautiful.^[3] There are four recognised varieties:

It belongs to the A pulchella group of wattles along with Acacia amputata , Acacia epacantha , Acacia fagonioides , Acacia guinetii , Acacia lasiocarpa and Acacia megacephala.^[4]

Distribution

It is found in the Perth,

Geraldton in the north down to near Esperance in the east and to coastal areas in the west and south. Geraldton to Esperance. A single population in Creek Conservation ParkPark has also been recorded in South Australia.^[3]

Ecology

Recent research suggests that A. pulchella may in some circumstances suppress the plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.^[7]

Uses

This prickly shrub is useful as a screen to inhibit animal and human access to areas.^[8]

References

^ "Acacia pulchella R.Br". www.plantsoftheworldonline.org. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
^
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Acacia pulchella". Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Acacia pulchella". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
^ "Acacia pulchella". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
^ Brown, R. (1813). Aiton, W.T. (ed.). "Polygamia monoecia". Hortus Kewensis. 5 (2 ed.): 464.
^ Arunodini Jayasekera, Interactions between Phytophthora cinnamomi and Acacia pulchella: consequences on ecology and epidemiology of the pathogen, Murdoch University, Western Australia, PhD thesis 2006
^ "York gum species list". Toodyay Land Conservation District Committee. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25.

External links

"Acacia pulchella". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.

[powo-1] "Acacia pulchella R.Br". www.plantsoftheworldonline.org. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-14.

[FloraBase-2] 
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
.

[sa-3] "Acacia pulchella". Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 14 February 2021.

[www-4] "Acacia pulchella". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 14 February 2021.

[5] "Acacia pulchella". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 2021-07-14.

[6] Brown, R. (1813). Aiton, W.T. (ed.). "Polygamia monoecia". Hortus Kewensis. 5 (2 ed.): 464.

[7] Arunodini Jayasekera, Interactions between Phytophthora cinnamomi and Acacia pulchella: consequences on ecology and epidemiology of the pathogen, Murdoch University, Western Australia, PhD thesis 2006

[8] "York gum species list". Toodyay Land Conservation District Committee. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25.

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