Acacia alata

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Acacieae
Genus: Acacia
Species: Acacia alata
Varieties: A. a. var. biglandulosa – A. a. var. platyptera – A. a. var. tetrantha
Name

Acacia alata R.Br., 1813
Synonyms

Acacia alata var. glabrata Seem.
Acacia ficoides Jacques
Acacia latifrons Seem. & J.C.Schmidt
Acacia uniglandulosa Seem. & J.C.Schmidt
Phyllodoce alata (R.Br.) Link
Racosperma alatum (R.Br.) Pedley

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Acacia alata

Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
Western Australia

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Brown, R. in W. T. Aiton, 1813. Hortus Kewensis; or, a Catalogue of the Plants Cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, 5:464.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acacia alata in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Jul 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Acacia alata. Published online. Accessed: Jul 24 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Acacia alata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jul 24.
Hassler, M. Jul. Acacia alata. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. Jul. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: Jul 24 {{{3}}}. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acacia alata in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: Winged Wattle

Acacia alata (common name: winged wattle) is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia.

Description

Acacia alata is a frost-hardy, large, multi-branched shrub, typically growing to a height of 0.3 to 2.1 metres (1.0 to 6.9 ft)[1] and 1 m (3.3 ft) across. Its branchlets are often bent alternately in different directions.

The phyllodes (modified petioles) are reduced in size and give the impression of cladodes (branches that resemble leaves). The wings of these phyllodes are usually 2 to 20 millimetres (0.08 to 0.79 in) wide and 5 to 70 mm (0.20 to 2.76 in) long. Furthermore, each phyllode extends into a spine. Tolerate frosts to −7 °C (19 °F).[2]

A. alata blooms between April and December.[1] The inflorescence is simple with mostly two flowers per axil, but sometimes distributed in racemes. The globular heads contain 4 to 15 flowers. These flowers can be white, cream-coloured or golden yellow. The last flower form is preferred for cultivation.[2]
Classification

The species was first formally described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1813 in William Townsend Aiton's work Hortus Kewensis.[3]

Four varieties are recognized :

Acacia alata var. alata
Acacia alata var. biglandulosa
Acacia alata var. platyptera
Acacia alata var. tetrantha

Distribution

The species is distributed throughout the west coast Western Australia from north of Geraldton to south around Albany. It grows in a variety of soils types in areas near streams, rocky hills, salt pans and clay flats.[1]
See also

List of Acacia species

References

"Acacia alata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
"Australian National Botanic Gardens - Growing Acacia". anbg.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
"Acacia alata R.Br". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 August 2018.