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Acacia chrysocephala

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Acacia chrysocephala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. chrysocephala
Binomial name
Acacia chrysocephala
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[1]
  • Acacia biflora var. aurea E.Pritz.
  • Racosperma chrysocephalum (Maslin) Pedley
  • Acacia biflora auct. non R.Br.: Bentham, G. (5 October 1864) p.p.
  • Acacia triangularis auct. non Benth.: Meisner, C.D.F. in Lehmann, J.G.C.

Acacia chrysocephala is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, much branched, compact, spiny shrub or subshrub, with hairy, ribbed branchlets, triangular, sharply pointed phyllodes, spherical heads of golden yellow flowers and curved, leathery to crust-like pods.

Description

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Acacia chrysocephala is a dense, compact and spiny shrub or subshrub, with many branches and that typically grows to a height of 30–50 cm (12–20 in) and has ribbed, hairy branchlets. Its phyllodes are triangular with one edge fused to the branchlet, 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) long, 1.5–10 mm (0.059–0.394 in) wide and usually sharply pointed. The flowers are borne in a spherical head in axils on a peduncle 0.5–3 mm (0.020–0.118 in) long, each head with 2 to 4 golden yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from May to October and the pods are shallowly curved, up to 30 mm (1.2 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) wide and leathery to crust-like, containing more or less oblong, shiny brown or greyish brown seeds 2.5–3 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long.[2][3][4][5]

Acacia chrysocephala is a member of the Acacia biflora group and is related to Acacia incrassata.[3]

Taxonomy

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In 1904, Ernst Pritzel described Acacia biflora var. aurea in the journal Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie from specimens he collected near Cranbrook.[6][7] In 1978, Bruce Maslin raised the variety to species status as A. chrysocephala in the journal Nuytsia.[8][4] The specific epithet (chrysocephala) means 'golden-headed'.[9]

Distribution and habitat

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This species of wattle is found in scattered populations from York to the Stirling Range and east as far as Scaddan and Bremer Bay where it grows in sandy or clay soils over laterite in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[10] It is found in Eucalyptus wandoo woodlands, Eucalyptus marginata forests, in mallee scrub and sometimes in low heath communities.[3]

Conservation status

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Acacia chrysocephala is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Acacia chrysocephala". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  2. ^ Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia chrysocephala". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Acacia chrysocephala". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b Maslin, Bruce R. (1978). "Studies in the genus Acacia (Mimosaceae) - 8 A revision of the Uninerves - Triangulares, in part (the tetramerous species)". Nuytsia. 2 (5): 305–308. doi:10.58828/nuy00046. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Acacia chrysocephala". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Lucid Central. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Acacia biflora var. aurea". APNI. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  7. ^ Pritzel, Ernst (1904). "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pflanzen Westaustraliens, ihrer Verbreitung und ihrer Lebensverhaltnisse". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 35 (2–3): 298. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Acacia chrysocephala". APNI. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  9. ^ George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 163. ISBN 9780958034180.
  10. ^ a b "Acacia chrysocephala". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.