Acacia brachystachya

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 brachystachya
Name

Acacia brachystachya Benth., 1864
Synonyms

Acacia aneura var. brachystachya (Benth.) Maiden
Acacia aneura var. stenocarpa Benth.
Acacia cibaria F.Muell.
Acacia stenocarpa F.Muell.
Racosperma brachystachyum (Benth.) Pedley

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Acacia brachystachya

Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

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

Bentham, G., 1864. Flora Australiensis 2: 403.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acacia brachystachya 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 26. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Acacia brachystachya. Published online. Accessed: Jul 26 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Acacia brachystachya. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jul 26.
Hassler, M. Jul. Acacia brachystachya. 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 26 {{{3}}}. Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: umbrella mulga, turpentine mulga, false bowgada

Acacia brachystachya (bra-chy-stà-chy-a -- pronounced 'brackeeSTAKEeea'),[1] commonly known as umbrella mulga,[2] turpentine mulga[1] or false bowgada,[3] is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. The species occurs in mulga and heath communities on sandhills and rocky ridges in all mainland states of Australia, except Victoria.[3]

Description

Acacia brachystachya grows as a tall, bushy inland shrub to five metres with twisted, spreading stems, and is branched at the base.[4] Like most Acacia species, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. These may be up to 18 centimetres long, are mostly one to three millimetres wide and a grey-green colour.[5] The flowers are yellow, and held in cylindrical clusters about two centimetres long (up to 25 millimetres).[5] The pods are long and straight, up to 12 centimetres long and 8 millimetres across.[5] It has peduncles up to 10mm with short, stiff hairs.[5]
Distribution and Habitat

Acacia brachystachya is a shrub or small tree found in inland Australia. It is found in New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.[5] Within NSW it is usually found in the Central Western Slopes, the Western Plains, and North Far Western Plains.[5]

Acacia brachystachya is commonly found on sandy loam soils near Acacia aneura, and on sandy soils between dunes. In addition to this, in the eastern section of its range, it occurs on shallow stony soils.[4] Its environmental requirements are much alike to those of Acacia ramulosa, albeit with a narrower geographic range.[4] Although A. brachystachya is both related to and confused with A. aneura and A. ramulosa, it is distinguishable in the difference of the pods.[3]
Taxonomy

Acacia brachystachya of the families Fabaceae or Mimosaceae has been categorised as being part of the subfamily Mimosoideae.[1] The species name Acacia brachystachya was coined in 1864 by George Bentham, an English man who never travelled to Australia but wrote Flora Australiensis. Bentham has been referred to as one of the greatest systematic botanists, having contributed considerably to Australian botany.[1] The type specimen, K000806612, was collected during the Bourke and Wills expedition in the Mutanie Ranges,[6] and came from Ferdinand von Mueller's herbarium.[7]

This species is of the Acacia genus with the specific species name being brachystachya. The plant is called brachystachya due to its short spikes, brachys (short), and stachys (spike). Acacia brachystachya is classed as a group 1 Acacia under the informal groupings outlined by D.A Morrison and S.J Davies.[8] Group 1 plants are identified as having phyllodes, as well as being the only group which features flowers in cylindrical heads.
Reproduction

Acacia Mill. sect. Juliflorae Benth., commonly referred to as mulga includes A. brachystachya.[9] Most Acacias have been studied comprehensively, however many mulgas have not.[9] It has been concluded that it is likely that mulga plants are insect pollinated as this is often the case with arid zone Acacias.[9] Although it generally flowers in April–August, A. brachystachya does flower irregularly depending on weather and climatic conditions.[3] These flowers are hermaphroditic and grow after heavy rainfall at any time of year.[9] Despite the potential year round flowering, reproduction does not always follow. Mature pods are usually only developed when summer rain is the cause of flowering followed by rain in the subsequent winter.[9] Because A. brachystachya is most easily distinguished from similar species by assessing the pods, it can be difficult to correctly identify without having experiencing the appropriate climatic conditions.[9]
See also

List of Acacia species

References
Wikispecies has information related to Acacia brachystacha.

Hall, N. & Johnson L. A. S. (1993) The names of acacias of New South Wales: with a guide to pronunciation of botanical names. Sydney: Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.
Keith, D. (2004). Ocean shores to desert dunes: the native vegetation of New South Wales and the ACT. Hurstville NSW: Department of Environment and Conservation
"Acacia brachystacha". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
Pedley, L. (n.d.) Flora of Australia online. Retrieved from http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/online-resources/flora/stddisplay.xsql?pnid=41839
Armitage, A. (1978). Acacias of New South Wales. Sydney: N.S.W. Region of the Society for Growing Australian Plants
"Acacia brachystachya". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
JSTOR Global Plants: Type of Acacia brachystachya Benth.
Harden, G.J. (ed.) (1991) Flora of New South Wales, 2

Randell, B. R. (1992). Mulga. A Revision of the Major Species. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, 14(2), 105–132.

"Acacia brachystacha". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
"Acacia brachystacha". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Mitchell, A. A.; Wilcox, D. G. (1994). Arid Shrubland Plants of Western Australia, Second and Enlarged Edition. University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia. ISBN 978-1-875560-22-6.