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Acacia aristulata, also known as Watheroo wattle,[1] is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae endemic to Western Australia.

Watheroo wattle
Conservation status
Endangered  (EPBC Act)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Clade:	Mimosoid clade
Genus:	Acacia
Species:	A. aristulata
Binomial name
Acacia aristulata Maslin
Occurrence data from AVH

Description

The erect or scrambling shrub typically grows to a height of 0.25 to 1 metre (1 to 3 ft)[2] and with a width of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in).[1] It blooms from September to December and produces lemon- yellow to creamy-white flowers.[2] The spherical flower heads can last until January or February and the seed pods take around a year to become mature.[1]

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist Bruce Maslin in 199 as part of the work Acacia miscellany. The taxonomy of fifty-five species of Acacia, primarily Western Australian, in section Phyllodineae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) as published in the journal Nuytsia. It was reclassified as Racosperma aristulatum in 2003 by Leslie Pedley, then transferred back to the genus Acacia in 2005.[3]

Distribution

It is native to an area on the Lesueur sandplain in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.[2] The shrub is found between Moora and Watheroo and is known in four localities extending within a range of approximately 35 km (22 mi).[1]

Habitat

It is most often situated among rocky outcrops on top of low rocky ridges and hills growing in sandy-loamy-clay soils over granite and chert. The shrub is often a part of Allocasuarina woodland or low open shrubland communities. Species commonly associated with Acacia aristulata include Allocasuarina huegeliana, Diplolaena angustifolium, Dianella revoluta and Dryandra sessilis.[1]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

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