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Acacia maitlandii, also known as Maitland's wattle, is a perennial tree native to Australia.

Maitland's wattle
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. maitlandii
Binomial name
Acacia maitlandii F. Muell.
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[1]
Acacia maitlandi F.Muell. ex Benth. Acacia patens F.Muell. Racosperma maitlandii (F.Muell.) Pedley

Description

The shrub has an open and spindly habit, with a height of 0.7 to 3.0 metres (2 to 10 ft).[2] The resinous and glabrous branchlets are generally terete in form. The glabrous phyllodes are straight with a narrowly elliptic shape and are 0.8 to 2.5 centimetres (0.31 to 0.98 in) in length and 1 to 3 millimetres (0.039 to 0.118 in) wide.[3] Flowers are yellow and occur sometime between May and October.[2] The simple inflorescences occur singly in the axil of the phyllodes. The globose flower heads with a diameter of 4 to 5 mm (0.157 to 0.197 in) and contain 35 to 60 bright yellow flowers. Following flowering smooth papery seed pods form. The pods are straight and slightly constricted between seeds with a length of 4 to 5 cm (1.57 to 1.97 in) and 3 to 4 mm (0.118 to 0.157 in) wide.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1862 as part of the work Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[4] The plant is named for an early European explorer of Australia's Northwest, Maitland Brown, who collect the type specimen.[3] It was later reclassified as Racosperma maitlandii by Leslie Pedley in 1986 but transferred back into the genus Acacia in 2001.[5]

Distribution

Acacia maitlandii is found in northern regions of all mainland states of Australia, except Victoria,[3] and is not considered to be threatened with extinction.[2] The favoured soil type is red sand, or stony ground, the habitat is sandy or stony plains, and on hills.[2]

Uses

The species is used to make boomerangs and spearthrowers, the gum produced is edible. The tree is called Garrga in the languages of the Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma people.[6] The seeds have been identified, analysed, and monitored, as a 'wild harvested Australian indigenous food', by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The product is found to very high in fats, over half by weight.[7]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

External links

Data related to Acacia maitlandii at Wikispecies

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