Acacia linifolia

	Acacia linifolia

General Plant Info

Acacia linifolia, known as "White Wattle" or "Flax-leaved Wattle" is a sparsely branched, arching shrub to 2 m high with dark green, narrow, linear phyllodes. Bears terminal heads of cream flowers from January to August.

Native to New South Wales and Queensland. Erect stem with rough bark the phyllodes have a hooked tip.

Similar to Acacia boormanii which has bright yellow flower heads and grey-green phyllodes, and to Acacia meiantha which has brighter yellow flower heads and branchlets and peduncles with short stiff hairs.

Geographic distribution

Occurs on the E side of the Great Divide from near Singleton S to near Mittagong, also near Narooma (c. 200 km S of Mittagong), N.S.W. Usually grows in sand on sandstone in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland.

Identification

Graceful open shrub 2–6 m high; branches arching. Branchlets, finely ribbed, usually glabrous.

Phyllodes rather crowded, spreading erect to erect, linear, 2–5 cm long, usually 0.8–2.5 mm wide and flat, commonly narrowed at base, mucronulate, thin, glabrous except pulvinus often sparsely hairy abaxially; midrib not prominent; lateral nerves obscure or absent; gland not prominent, 5–15 mm above pulvinus.

Inflorescences racemose; raceme axes 2–5 cm long, slender, usually glabrous; peduncles 2–5 mm long, slender, usually glabrous; heads globular, 6–12-flowered, creamy yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, 1/4 length of petals; ovary glabrous.

Pods stipitate, to 10 cm long, sometimes to 15 cm, 7–13 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, dark purplish brown to black.

Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 5 mm long, dull, black; aril subclavate.

Alkaloid content

Contains β-Phenethylamine

Cultivation

Adaptable to most soils but prefers a light to medium soil. Full sun to partial shade, or in a sunny protected position.

Seed germination: Soak in just boiled water overnight allowing water to cool.

Suppliers

https://australianseed.com/shop/item/acacia-linifolia

Links

http://www.worldwidewattle.com/speciesgallery/linifolia.php

http://www.australianplants.com/plants.aspx?id=1022

http://www.anbg.gov.au/acacia/species/A-linifolia.html

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acacia~linifolia