North coast wattle
Acacia leptocarpa, Fam. Mimosaceae
Shrub or small tree to 15m. Rounded crown and pendulous branches.
Weed Category: | |
Weed: | No |
Form or habit: | Shrub, Small tree |
Family: | Mimosaceae |
Leaf: | Simple Alternate Phyllode- narrowly eliptic, long and sickle-shaped. 9-26.5 x 1-3.5mm. Juvenile foliage larger. Three prominent yellowish veins crowd together at base of phyllode, secondary veins widely spaced (1-3 per mm) and more or less parallel. Prominent swollen basal gland. |
Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Flower colour: |
Yellow, Gold |
Flower description: | Yellow to golden yellow spikes 4-7cm long, in pairs in the leaf axils. Autumn to spring. |
Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Fruit colour: |
Brown |
Fruit: | Dry |
Fruit description: | Dark brown pods, long, very narrow, flat, somewhat constricted between seeds. Twisted to coiled 8-15 x 0.2-0.35 cm. Seed is dark brown with a large yellow-orange aril. |
Habitat: | Open forest, woodland. |
Distribution | Northern areas of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia in coastal eucalypt forests along fresh water stream banks and seasonal swampy areas. |
Food source for: | Larval food plant for the northern hairstreak butterfly. |
Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
Origin: | Australia |
Notes: | A good screening or windbreak tree. Timber useful for turning. |
Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia. |