Acacia sclerosperma F. Muell.

Leguminosae

Common names

Limestone wattle, silver dark wattle

Description

Tall shrub, 2-4 m high, with a wide crown (2-5 m diameter) and a spreading, sprawling, bushy habit. Relatives A. bivenosa, A. ligulata, area of occurrence : Pilbara and Hammersley in the NW Western Australia and the S Northern Territories. Phyllodes 5-25 cm x 5-30 mm, almost linear, often green-yellowish, 1 central nerve protruding on both sides of the blade. Flowers white in circular heads 7-10 mm wide, on axillary racemes. Pods narrow, 5-7 cm x 0.3-0.5 cm, hard and brittle, slightly constricted between seeds. Seeds 4.5-6.5 x 3.0-3.5 mm, with a scarlet funicule.

Habitat

Companion growers : A. victoriae, A. cowleana, A. holosericea, Eucalyptus microtheca, E. camaldulensis, Melaleuca sp.pl.

Temperature

It requires monthly temperatures between 10 and 42°C and is sensitive to cold.

Water

It requires 200-700 mm of annual rainfall and 24-110 days rainy season. Under the lower rainfall area of occurrence, it is often restricted to dry creeks with some run-in.

Soil

It can be found on sand, dunes, silt plains occasionally on clay depressions, and is tolerant to salinity.

Products & uses

It is used for firewood, forage, erosion control, and secondary windbreak.

Links for the genus:

• The WattleWeb: Acacias from A-Z
• Seed treatment and inoculation: Instructions for acacias and other NFT (Nitrogen Fixing Trees)
• Sustainable livestock production: Indigenous knowledge in utilization of local trees and shrubs in central Tanzania

References

Turnbull 1986 ; Turnbull 1987 ; Turnbull 1991 ; Maslin 1982 ; Maslin & McDonald 1996 ; Dommergues et al. 1999.