| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves generally compound, alternate, stipuled; leaflets generally entire
Inflorescence: generally raceme, spike, umbel or head; flowers sometime 1–2 in axils
Flowers generally bisexual, generally bilateral; hypanthium generally flat or cup-like; sepals generally 5, fused; petals generally 5, free, or the 2 lower ± fused; stamens 1–many, often 10 with 9 filaments at least partly fused, 1 (uppermost) free; pistil 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1–many, style, stigma 1
Fruit: legume, sometimes including a stalk-like base above receptacle, dehiscent, or indehiscent and breaking into 1-seeded segments, or indehiscent, 1-seeded, and achene-like
Seeds 1–several, often ± reniform, generally hard, smooth
Genera in family: ± 650 genera, 18,000 species: worldwide; with grasses, requisite in agriculture and most natural ecosystems. Many cultivated, most importantly Arachis , peanut; Glycine , soybean; Phaseolus , beans; Medicago ; Trifolium ; and many orns
Reference: [Polhill & Raven (eds) 1981 Advances in legume systematics; Allen & Allen 1981 Leguminosae]
Family description and key to genera by Duane Isely.
Tree, shrub, armed or unarmed
Leaves even-2-pinnate or, if simple, true blades 0, petioles and midribs blade-like (comprising phyllodia), generally alternate, generally evergreen; axes with prominent raised glands or not
Inflorescence: heads, spheric, generally axillary, these solitary or in racemes or panicles, or flowers in spikes
Flower radial; sepals, petals inconspicuous; stamens many, conspicuous, exserted, free
Fruit generally dehiscent, sometimes tardily so, flat or ± cylindric
Species in genus: ± 1200 species: tropical, subtropical, especially Australia
Etymology: (Greek: sharp point)
Reference: [Whibley 1980 Acacias of South Australia; Clarke et al. 1989 Systematic Botany 14:549–564]
Australian species cultivated, sometimes naturalized and spreading in CA (seed arilled, stalk often elongated, encircing seed or not).
| Introduced |
Tree 7–10 m, unarmed, all parts softly hairy
Stem: bark often exuding gum; twig angled, green
Leaf 2-pinnate, olive-green; main axis with glands at junction of and sometimes between each pair of 1° leaflets; 1° leaflets 8–25 pairs, ± overlapped, 3–5 cm; 2° leaflets 30–70 pairs, overlapped, < 5 mm, linear
Inflorescence: raceme or panicle of 30–35 heads, axillary, ± = leaf
Flower pale yellow, ± fragrant
Fruit 5–10 cm, straight, flat, ± narrowed between seeds, almost black; hairs fine, white
Seed arilled; stalk short
Ecology: Disturbed, urban areas?
Elevation:
Bioregional distribution:Native to e Australia. Confused with A. dealbata. Reports of naturalization unconfirmed.