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Acacia confusa

(Acacia Petit Feuille, Formosan Koa, Mimosa)

Overview:

Tree from the Philippines and Taiwan with sickle-shaped leaves similar to koa but shorter and straighter. The tiny flowers are congested in conspicuous bright yellow heads about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Conservation Status

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Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms:

  1. Racosperma confusum (Merr.)Pedley

Misapplied Names:

  1. Acacia richii A.Gray

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Rico M.L., 1994

Place of publication: Philipp. J. Sci., C 5:27. 1910

Name verified on 28-Oct-1988 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 12-Jan-2001

Physical Description

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Subfamily Mimosoideae:

Mostly trees or shrubs. Leaves mostly bipinnate. Corolla usually not showy, actinomorphic, sympetalous, the lobes valvate. Stamens 10-numerous, often monadelphous, showy. Pollen released in monads, tetrads, or polyads. Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) present. [Carr]

Genus Acacia:

Trees, shrubs, rarely herbs, often prickly or spinose. Leaves bipinnate; leaflets small and numerous or leaves reduced to phyllodes; petiolar glands often present; stipules generally spinescent. Inflorescence cylindric spike or globose head; peduncle solitary axillary or fasciculate or paniculate at the end of branches; bracts often two, scale like, situated on the peduncle at various levels. Flowers small, 3-5-merous, bisexual or plants polygamous. Calyx campanulate, dentate, lobed or polysepalous. Petals usually more or less united, rarely absent. Stamens indefinite, free or shortly and irregularly connate at the base; anthers small, eglandular. Ovary sessile or stipitate, with 2 or more ovules. Fruit ovate to linear, straight, arcuate or contorted, membranous to woody, rarely articulated or moniliform. Seed large, with a filiform funicle or fleshy aril.

A genus with about 900 species; distributed mainly in tropics and subtropics, especially in Africa and Australia.[1]

Species Acacia confusa:

Small tree; adult foliage of falcate phyllodes, juvenile and sucker-shoot foliage of bipinnate leaves; trunk up to 1 m thick in very old trees; phyllodes alternate, coriaceous, parallel-curving-veined, 8-10 cm long, narrowed at both ends; flowers yellow, in small globose heads 6-8 mm in diameter; heads 1 or 2 in axil of phyllode; pods few together, linear or somewhat curved, flat or slightly twisted, brown, 5-10 cm long, 1 cm broad or a little more or less, with about 8 seeds; seeds compressed, brown (Stone, 1970, in PIER, 2002). The leaves are apparently allelopathic since the ground underneath these trees is free of weeds, (© 1999-2003 Shaman Australis Botanicals).

Habit: Tree

Images:

Distribution

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Range and Population

Native: Guangdong, Guangxi.

Habitat

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Grows well between sea level in both dry and mesic habitats. Will often resprout after fire. In Hawai'i, it was planted for windbreaks on Maui and has since formed monotypic stands at lower elevations and continues to spread up to 1000 m (Randy Bartlett, communication on Aliens list server, in: PIER, 2003).

Biome

disturbed areas

Ecology

Forms monotypic stands (PIER, 2003).

Reproduction

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Seeds present in the ground can germinate profusely after fire. Can be reproduced from cuttings. Spread through forestry and ornamental plantings. (PIER, 2003)

Duration: Perennial

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Acacia:

There are approximately 2,924 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: A. acuminata burkitii · A. angustissima smithii · A. aspera parviceps · A. ataxiphylla magna · A. bivenosa bivenosa · A. bivenosa wayi · A. disparrima calidestris · A. euthycarpa oblanceolata · A. farnesiana minuta · A. farnesiana pinetorum · A. julifera curvinervia · A. solandri solandri · A. sphacelata recurva · A. sphacelata verticillata · A. stipuligera stipuligera · A. tortilis campoptila · A. victoriae arida · A. yemenensis obtusifoliolata · A. hanburyana · A. 'Cascade' · A. 'Clair de Lune' · A. 'Mireille' · A. 'Rustica' · A. 'Winter Gold' · A. 05ana · A. abbatiana · A. abbreviata · A. abrupta · A. abstergens · A. abyssinica · A. abyssinica abyssinica · A. abyssinica calophylla · A. acanthaster · A. acanthocarpa var. uncinella · A. acanthoclada · A. acanthoclada acanthoclada · A. acanthoclada glaucescens · A. acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens · A. acanthoclada var. glaucescens · A. acanthophora · A. acatlensis · A. acellerata · A. acinacea (Gold Dust Wattle) · A. acinacea 'Ruby Tips' · A. acinacea var. acinacea · A. acinacea var. brevipedunculata · A. aciphylla · A. aciphylla var. aciphylla · A. acoma · A. acradena · A. acradenia · A. acrionastes · A. acuaria · A. acuifera · A. aculeaticarpa · A. aculeatissima · A. aculeiformis · A. acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata burkittii · A. acuminata subsp. burkitii · A. acuminata var. acuminata · A. acutangula · A. acutata · A. acutistipula · A. adenanthera · A. adenocalyx · A. adenocarpa · A. adenogonia · A. adenopa · A. adenophora · A. adenostylis · A. adhaerens · A. adhaerens var. parviceps · A. adherens · A. adinophylla · A. adnata · A. adoxa · A. adoxa var. adoxa · A. adoxa var. subglabra · A. adoxa x · A. adpressa · A. adsurgens · A. adunca (Wallangarra Wattle) · A. aegyptiaca · A. aemula · A. aemula aemula · A. aemula muricata · A. aemula subsp. muricata · A. aestivalis · A. alata · A. alata var. alata · A. alata var. biglandulosa · A. alata var. glabrata · A. alata var. platyptera · A. alata var. tetrantha · A. alaticaulis · A. alaticaulisTindale · A. albescens · A. albicorticata (Aromo)

Bibliography

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  • Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
  • Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In J. O. Luken & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. (Pl Invasion)
  • Li, H. L. et al., eds. 1975–1979. Flora of Taiwan. (F Taiwan)
  • Nielsen, I. 1985. The Malesian species of Acacia and Albizia (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae). Opera Bot. 81:7. [mentions].
  • Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk, (PIER, 2003)
  • Pedley, L. 1986. Derivation and dispersal of Acacia (Leguminosae), with particular reference to Australia, and the recognition of Senegalia and Racosperma. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 92:248. [= Racosperma confusum (Merr.) Pedley].

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

  • Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 15, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 7 providers.
  • ILDIS World Database of LegumesNov 10, 2005.
  • USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 24, 2008)

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers:

Footnotes:

  1. "Acacia". in Flora of Pakistan. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

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Last Revised: May 11, 2008