Acacia mollifolia

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 mollifolia
Name

Acacia mollifolia Maiden & Blakely, 1927
References

J. Proc. Roy. Soc. New South Wales 60:192. 1927
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acacia mollifolia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Acacia mollifolia, commonly known as the hairy silver wattle, velvet acacia and hoary silver wattle is a species of Acacia native to eastern Australia.[1]

Description

The spreading shrub or small tree typically grows to a height of 1.5 to 6 metres (5 to 20 ft) and has smooth to finely fissured bark.[1] The terete branchlets have low pale rusty to silvery grey coloured ridges. The filiform silvery grey coloured leaves are supported on a stalk that is 0.2 to 0.7 cm (0.079 to 0.276 in) in length and quite hairy. The leaves form along a rachis that is 1 to 6.5 cm (0.39 to 2.56 in) in length and made up of 4 to 10 pairs of pinnae that are 0.8 to 4 cm (0.31 to 1.57 in) in length and in turn are made up of 7 to 27 pairs of narrowly oblong to linear shaped pinnules that have a length of 2.5 to 7.15 mm (0.098 to 0.281 in) in length and 0.5 to 0.8 mm (0.020 to 0.031 in) wide and covered with silvery coloured and finely textured hairs. It blooms throughout the year but mostly between March and May[2] forming simple inflorescences in axillary racemes with spherical flower-heads that have a diameter of 3 to 6 mm (0.12 to 0.24 in) and contain 20 to 40 bright yellow coloured flowers. Following flowering leathery seed pods form that are densley covered in silver-grey-brown hairs. The pods are straight to slightly curved and vaguely resemble a string of beads. They have a length of 3 to 12 cm (1.2 to 4.7 in) and a width of 4 to 7 mm (0.16 to 0.28 in).[1]
Taxonomy

The specific epithet is formed from the Latin words mollis meaning soft or pliant and folium meaning leaf in reference to the soft and hairy leaves of the plant.[1] It is closely related to Acacia fulva.[2]
Distribution

A. mollifolia is endemism to the central tablelands and central western slopes[2] of New South Wales with the bulk of the population found to the west of Peakhill, Boorowa and Bathurst areas to around Rankins Springs where it is often situated on sandstone ridges and on alluvial plains a part of dry sclerophyll forest or woodland communities[1] dominated by species of Eucalyptus and Callitris.[2]
See also

List of Acacia species

References

P.G.Kodela (2009). "Acacia mollifolia Maiden & Blakely". Plantnet - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
"Acacia mollifolia". WorldWideWattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 3 March 2020.