Acacia rigens

Acacia rigens, commonly known as nealie, is an erect or spreading shrub or small tree that is endemic to Australia.[2][3] Other common names include needle wattle, needlebush acacia, nealia and nilyah.[3]

Acacia rigens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Clade: Mimosoideae
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. rigens
Binomial name
Acacia rigens
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms
  • Acacia chordophylla Benth.
  • Racosperma rigens (A.Cunn. ex Don) Pedley

Description

Plants typically grows to a height of 1 to 6 m (3 ft 3 in to 19 ft 8 in) and have rigid, terete phyllodes that are between 3 to 13 cm (1.2 to 5.1 in) in length. The bright yellow flowerheads appear in groups of up to four in the axils of the phyllodes. The simple inflorescences have resinous and spherical flower-heads with a diameter of 4 to 7 mm (0.16 to 0.28 in) and contain 20 to 30 bright yellow coloured, 5-merous flowers that appear between July and December in the species' native range, followed by curled, twisted or coiled seed pods which are 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) long and 2 to 3 mm (0.079 to 0.118 in) wide.[2][3]

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1832 by botanist Allan Cunningham.[1] It resembles Acacia havilandiorum but has longer phyllodes and 4-merous flowers. The specific epithet is thought to be a reference to the rigidity of the pjhyllodes.[3]

Distribution

The species occurs on red earth, sandy or shaly soils in mallee and woodland in southern Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.[3][4]

Cultivation

The species is fast-growing and is both frost and drought tolerant, rarely requiring watering after establishment. It is adaptable to most soils and is best suited to a position in full sun or light shade.[5]

The larvae of the double-spotted lineblue butterfly feed on this species.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Acacia rigens". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  2. "Acacia rigens". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. "Acacia rigens". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  4. "Acacia rigens". Electronic Flora of South Australia Fact Sheet. State Herbarium of South Australia. Archived from the original on 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  5. Greig, D. (1987). The Australian Gardener's Wildflower Catalogue. Australia: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 978-0-207-15460-7.
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