Acacia multispicata

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 multispicata
Name

Acacia multispicata Benth., 1864
Synonyms

Homotypic
Raacosperma multispicatum (Benth.) Pedley (2003)

Misapplied names

Acacia microneura sens. E.Pritz. (1904)
Acacia ephedroides sens. Benth. (1864)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Acacia multispicata

Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
Western Australia

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

Bentham, G. & Mueller, F.J.H. v. 1864. Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian territory. Volume 2. Leguminosae to Combretaceae. 521 pp., London, L. Reeve & co. BHL Reference page. : 2:400.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Acacia multispicata in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Aug 09. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Acacia multispicata. Published online. Accessed: Aug 09 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Acacia multispicata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 09 Aug 2019.
Catalogue of Life: 2021 Annual Checklist
Acacia multispicata – Taxon details on World Wide Wattle.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Acacia multispicata in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
English: spiked wattle

Acacia multispicata, commonly known as spiked wattle,[1] is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to south western Australia.

Description

The low spreading to erect multi-branched shrub typically grows to a height of 0.2 to 2.5 metres (1 to 8 ft).[2] It can have a dense and often rounded habit with glabrous or sparingly haired branchlets that have white to grey coloured new shoots occasionally with golden tips. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The terete to compressed evergreen phyllodes are sometimes flat and linear and straight to slightly curved. The rigid and glabrous phyllodes have a length of 1 to 10 cm (0.39 to 3.94 in) and a width of 0.8 to 1.5 mm (0.031 to 0.059 in) and have an acute to acuminate apex with 8 to 20 narrow nerves.[3] It flowers from March to October producing yellow flowers.[2] The simple inflorescences occur singly or in pairs found in the axils. The loosely obloid to cylindrically shaped flower-heads are 8 to 15 mm (0.31 to 0.59 in) in length and packed with golden flowers. Following flowering glabrous, green that age to brown, thinly crustaceous seed pods form. The pods have a linear shape and are well raised over and constricted between each of the seeds. They have a length of up to 8 cm (3.1 in) and a width of 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) and have longitudinally arranged seeds inside. The dull to subnitid, smooth or pitted, black seeds have an elliptic shape and a length of 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) and an apical aril.[3]
Taxonomy

It is part of the Acacia multispicata group which also includes the closely related Acacia sessilispica and Acacia singula.[3] The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words multi meaning many and spicata meaning spiked in reference to the large number of inflorescences that cover the shrub when it is in bloom.[1]
Distribution

It is native to Mid West, Wheatbelt, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia where it is found growing in yellow sandy soils. The range of the shrub extends from around Northampton in the north down to around Cranbrook in the south.[2] It extends eastwards as far as to just south west of Coolgardie and the Frank Hann National Park where it is usually situated on sand-plains as an apart of heathland or scrubland communities.[3]
See also

List of Acacia species

References

"Acacia multispicata" (PDF). Kalannie. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
"Acacia multispicata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
"Acacia multispicata". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 23 November 2019.