Acacia ligulata A. Cunn. Ex Benth

Mimosaceae

Common name(s):

Umbrella bush (Australia), Small Cooba (New South Wales), Dune wattle.

Description:

Small shrub, 1-5 m high with branches starting from low to the ground, very close to A. salicina, of which it was for a long time considered a variety, but it has more rigid branches and an undivided crown. It also differs from the latter species in its pods, which are narrowed between the seeds and become brittle when dry. 

Distribution:

An Australian species from the southern half of the Northern Territory.  Found in all of southern Australia, except in the most humid parts of north-west Victoria and in the western districts of new South Wales. Not reported from Queensland, but could well be found there (Hall et al., 1972), near the border of southern Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a coloniser and stabiliser of drifting sands. It can withstand the hottest and driest climates of Australia with rainfall not exceeding 175-200 mm in the cool season, but when used as a low wind-break, it requires 250-350 mm of water. It can withstand a few days of light frost.

Products and uses:

Primarily of value for the stabilisation of drifting sands, it may also be considered an ornamental by reason of its nice yellow flowers. It is useful as a low wind-break and shelter for livestock on sandy soils.

Main References:

Baumer, M. 1983. Notes on Trees and Shrubs in Arid and Semi-arid Regions. FAO/UNEP programme “Ecological Management of Arid and Semi-Arid Rangelands in Africa, Near and Middle East” (EMASAR Phase II). 270p.