Acacia continua

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 continua
Name

Acacia continua Benth., 1824
Synonyms

Acacia colletioides F.Muell.
Racosperma continuum (Benth.) Pedley

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References
Primary references

Bentham, G. & Mueller, F.J.H. v. 1864. Flora Australiensis, Volume 2. London, L. Reeve & co. 475 pp. BHL Reference page. : 2:322.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acacia continua 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 30. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Acacia continua. Published online. Accessed: Jul 30 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Acacia continua. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jul 30.
Hassler, M. Jul. Acacia continua. 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 30 {{{3}}}. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acacia continua in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: thorn wattle

Acacia continua, or the thorn wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Alatae. It native to New South Wales and South Australia.[1]

Description

The shrub has a multi-branched and rounded shrub that typically grows to a height of 1 metre (3.3 ft) and a width of 0.7 m (2.3 ft). The rigid and often hooked phyllodes reach up to a length of 3 centimetres (1.2 in). It blooms between winter and spring producing large yellow spherical flowers in winter.[1] The wrinkled brown seed pods are brittle to leathery. The pods are about 8 cm (3.1 in) long and 5 mm (0.20 in) wide and usually curved or coiled. The hard brown seeds are ovoid to globular in shape and about to 4 mm (0.16 in) long.[2]
Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist George Bentham in 1864 in the work Flora Australiensis. It was reclassified as Racosperma continuum by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to the genus Acacia in 2006. The species is often confused and misidentified as Acacia colletioides.[3]

The specific epithet is taken from the Latin word continua meaning uninterrupted, in reference to the phyllodes running continuously from the stems and branchlets.[2]
Distribution

In New South Wales it is found in central and western parts on rocky ridges and along rivers and creeks as part of mallee and Callitris woodland communities.[4]

In South Australia the species often occurs on the Eyre Peninsula as well as the Flinders Range and Mount Lofty Range extending south to the coast. It is found growing on hard sandy alkaline or calcareous soils as a part of open woodland, scrubland and Triodia grassland communities.[2]
See also

List of Acacia species

References

"Acacia continua - Thorn Wattle". Australian National Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
"Acacia continua (Leguminosae) Thorn Wattle". Seeds of South Australia. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
"Acacia continua Benth". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
"Acacia continua Benth". PlantNET. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 3 February 2019.