Acacia decora

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Acacieae
Genus: Acacia
Species: Acacia decora
Name

Acacia decora Rchb., 1829
Synonyms

Acacia buxifolia var. decora C.Moore & Betche
Acacia decora var. biglandulosa Domin
Racosperma decorum (Rchb.) Pedley

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Acacia decora

Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Introduced into:
India

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

Reichenbach, H.G.L. 1828. Iconographia Botanica Exotica sive Hortus Botanicus, imagines plantarum imprimis extra Europam inventarum colligens: cum commentario succincto. Vol. 2. 299 pp. Lipsiae [Leipzig]. BHL Reference page. : 2:35, t. 199.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acacia decora 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 31. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Acacia decora. Published online. Accessed: Jul 31 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Acacia decora. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Jul 31.
Hassler, M. Jul. Acacia decora. 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 31 {{{3}}}. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acacia decora in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10..

Vernacular names
English: Graceful Wattle, Pretty Wattle, Western Golden Wattle

Acacia decora is a plant native to eastern Australia. Common names include the western silver wattle and the showy wattle. The species name refers to the plant's decorative qualities.

Description

The shrub typically grows to 1 to 4 m (3 ft 3 in to 13 ft 1 in) in height and has an erect to spreading habit. It has angled reddish to brown branchlets that are appressed-hairy when young and becoming glabrescent with age. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. It has variable foliage and the phyllodes are generally thin with a narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate shape. The phyllodes are 1.5 to 5 cm (0.59 to 1.97 in) in length and 2 to 7 mm (0.079 to 0.276 in) wide with a prominent midvein and obscure or faint lateral nerves. It blooms between April and October producing bright yellow flowers. The inflorescences are found in groups to 5 to 15 in axillary raceme with spherical flower-heads that have a diameter of 4.5 to 6 mm (0.18 to 0.24 in) and contain 15 to 30 bright yellow flowers.[2]
Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1829 by the botanist Ludwig Reichenbach as part of the work Iconographia Botanica Exotica. It was reclassified as Racosperma decorum in 1987 by Leslie Pedley then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2014. There are many other synonyms for this species including Acacia decora var. decora, Acacia caleyi, Acacia podalyriifolia var. caleyi and Acacia buxifolia var. decora.[3] The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word decorus in reference to the plants graceful appearance.[4]
Distribution

The shrub is found down the east coast of Australia extending from north Queensland down to Victoria. In New South Wales, showy wattle occurs west of the Great Dividing Range while in Queensland it extends to the coast, commonly seen in semi arid areas of the states of New South Wales and Victoria and throughout Queensland.[2] It is sometimes seen in wetter areas in dry sclerophyll forest. Its range extends from around Cooktown in the north down to the Warby Range of Victoria in the south growing in stony sandy soils as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities.[4]
Cultivation

A. decora is a hardy species which can tolerate a wide range of conditions. It grows best in well drained soils and in a full sun to partly shady position. It can be grown from seed but must be pretreated by scarification or with boiling water.[4]
See also

List of Acacia species

References

"Acacia decora". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
"Acacia decora". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
"Acacia decora Rchb". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
"Acacia decora". Australian Native Plants Society. Retrieved 31 August 2019.