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Acacia melanoxylon

(Australian Blackwood)

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Australiese Swarthout

Common Names in English:

Aroma Salvaje, Australian Blackwood, Black Wattle, Blackwood, Blackwood Acacia, Hickory, Mudgerabah, Sally Wattle, Tasmanian Blackwood

Common Names in Portuguese:

Acácia-Preta, Acácia-Preta

Common Names in Russian:

Akatziya Chornodrevesnaya

Common Names in Spanish:

Acacia De Madera Negra, Algarrobo, Aroma Salvaje

Description

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Family Fabaceae

The Fabaceae are herbs, vines , shrubs , trees , and lianas found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants , numbering 630 genera and 18,000 species. The leaves are stipulate , nearly always alternate, and range from bipinnately or palmately compound to simple . The petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus that commonly functions in orientation of the leaves (sometimes very responsively, as in the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica). The flowers are usually bisexual , actinomorphic to zygomorphic, slightly to strongly perigynous, and commonly in racemes , spikes, or heads . The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The androecium consists of commonly 1- many stamens (most commonly 10), distinct or variously united , sometimes some of them reduced to staminodes. The pistil is simple, often stipitate , comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume, sometimes a samara, loment, follicle, indehiscent pod, achene, drupe, or berry. The seeds often have a hard coat with hourglass-shaped cells , and sometimes bear a u-shaped line called a pleurogram. [Carr]

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]

Physical Description

Species Acacia melanoxylon

"Unarmed, evergreen tree 8-15 (sometimes up to 45) m high; trunk straight, crown dense and pyramidal to cylindrical, sometimes with heavy spreading branches. Leaves: Bipinnate (feathery) leaves on seedlings and coppice shoots turn into phyllodes. Phyllodes are 7-10 cm long, greyish turning dark dull-green, straight to slightly curved , with 3-7 prominent longitudinal veins and fine net-veins between; often bipinnate on young plants and coppice shoots. Flowers: Pale yellow, globular flower heads . Fruits: Reddish-brown pods, narrower than leaves, slightly constricted , twisted; flat roundish shiny black seeds 2-3 mm long, seeds almost encircled by pinkish-red seed stalks (aril)" (Henderson, 1995. In PIER , 2002). It has a shallow root system with dense, surface feeder roots.

Habit: Shrub , TreeClimbing: Not ClimbingGrowth Form: Multiple Stem • Shape and Orientation: Erect

Flowers: Bloom Period: Early SpringFlower Color: White • Flower Conspicuous: Yes

Seeds: Seed per Pound: 31200 • Seed Spread Rate: Slow • Seedling Vigor: Medium • Fruit/Seed Abundance: High • Fruit/Seed Color: Brown • Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: Yes • Cold Stratification Required: No

Foliage: Foliage Color: Dark Green • Foliage Porosity Summer: Moderate • Foliage Porosity Winter: Moderate • Foliage Texture: Fine • Fall Conspicuous: No • Leaf Retention: Yes

Size/Age/Growth

Active Growth Period: Spring and Summer • Growth Rate: Rapid • Mature Height (feet): 40.0 • Maximum Height at 20 Years (feet): 40 • Size: over 40' tall. • Vegetative Spread Rate: Moderate • Lifespan: Lifespan

Habitat

Native to rainforests in Australia, from the Atherton Tableland (17 and #176S) in Queensland above 500 m above sea level to central Tasmania (43 and #176S) between sea level and 1000 m above sea level (Farell and Ashton, 1978; Jennings, 2002). In these areas, it occurs as an understorey tree in wet eucalypt forests , as a pioneer to co-dominant trees in riverine rainforest and as a dominant tree in blackwood/teatree swamps in northwest Tasmaniua. It is best adapted to cooler, moist sites.In South Africa it invades forest edges or gaps , wooded kloofs, grassland and watercourses (Henderson, 1995, in PIER , 2002), but shows no invasive tendencies in New Zealand.It tolerates drought , poor drainage , any soil, salt air , gusty, steady or cold winds if grown in open, fog, smog, temperature extremes, sun or shade (FUF).

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,653 meters (0 to 15,266 feet).[2]

Biome: agricultural areas, coastland, disturbed areas, estuaries, natural forest , planted forests, range/grasslands, riparian zones, scrub/shrublands, urban areas, wetlands

Ecology: Replaces native non-tree vegetation, such as grassland and shrubland, and transforms such habitats . It invades the understorey of relatively open pine and eucalypt plantations (Geldenhuys, 1986 and 1996). Tree stands facilitate the establishment of natural evergreen forest species and the development of regrowth forest (Geldenhuys, 1996). Windfalls obstruct water flow along invaded streams and rivers . Root suckering, it may require root barriers when planted for landscaping in built-up areas (FUF).

Biology

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Reproduction

Seed dispersal : The pink-red aril attracts birds for dispersal of the seed. Once birds in host-countries become adapted to feeding on the pink-red aril around the seed, the seed is dispersed widely, as in South Africa. It is possible that in host countries where the species has not become invasive, birds and/or other frugivores were not forced by food shortages (as result of drought or other natural phenomena) to switch to this food source. Soil-stored seed banks develop that can remain viable for many years. Seeds germinate easily when placed in hot (boiling water) over night, or when soil-stored seeds are heated by the sun (in disturbed or exposed sites), or after fire (Hill , 1982). Acacia melanoxylon reproduces prolifically after fire. Vegetative regrowth: Coppice shoots develop from cut and damaged stems, and from damaged roots . (Geldenhuys, pers.comm. 2003)

Duration: PerennialCoppice Potential: Yes • Progagated by Bulbs: No • Propagated by Bare Root: Yes • Propagated by Container: Yes • Propagated by Corms: No • Propagated by Cuttings: Yes • Propagated by Seed: Yes • Propagated by Sod: No • Propagated by Sprigs: No • Propagated by Tubers: No • Fruit/Seed Period Begin: Summer • Fruit/Seed Period End: FallFruit/Seed Persistence: Yes

Growth

Culture: Space 6-8' apart.

Soil: Adapted to Medium Textured: Adapted to Medium Textured Soils • Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils: Yes • Anaerobic Tolerance: None • Salinity Tolerance: Low • CaCO3 Tolerance: Low • Minimum pH: 6.0 • Maximum pH: 8.3 • Fertility Requirement: Low

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade. • Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High • Minimum Precipitation: 16 • Maximum Precipitation: 40 • Moisture Use: Medium

Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): 14 • Minimum Frost Free Days: 180 • Cold Hardiness: 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Acacia arcuata Spreng.
  2. Acacia melanoxylon var. arcuata (Spreng.)ser.
  3. Acacia melanoxylon var. obtusifolia Ser.
  4. Acacia melanoxylum R. Br.
  5. Mimosa melanoxylon (R. Br.)poir.
  6. Racosperma melanoxylon (R. Br.) C. Martius
  7. Racosperma melanoxylon (R. Br.) Mart.
  8. Racosperma melanoxylon (R. Br.) Pedley
  9. Racosperma melanoxylon (R. Br.)pedley

Notes

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

Place of publication : W. T. Aiton, Hortus kew. ed. 2, 5:462. 1813

Name verified on 05-May-2000 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 14-Dec-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Acacia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2783 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

A. abbatiana · A. abbreviata · A. abietina · A. abrupta · A. abstergens · A. abyssinica (Nyanga Flat-Top) · A. abyssinica abyssinica · A. abyssinica calophylla · A. acanthaster · A. acanthocarpa · A. acanthoclada (Harrow Wattle) · A. acanthoclada acanthoclada · A. acanthoclada glaucescens · A. acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens · A. acanthoclada var. glaucescens (Harrow Wattle) · A. acantholoba · A. acanthophora · A. acanthophylla · A. acapulcensis · A. acatlensis · A. accola · A. acellerata · A. acicularis · A. acinacea (Round-Leaved Wattle) · A. acinacea 'Ruby Tips' · A. acinacea var. brevipedunculata · A. aciphylla · A. acoma · A. acradena · A. acradenia · A. acrionastes · A. acuaria · A. acuifera · A. aculeaticarpa (Catclaw Mimosa) · A. aculeatissima (Thin-Leaf Wattle) · A. aculeiformis · A. acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata burkittii · A. acutangula · A. acutata · A. acutifolia · A. acutistipula · A. adansonii · A. adenanthera · A. adenantheroides · A. adenocalyx · A. adenocarpa · A. adenogonia · A. adenopa · A. adenophora · A. adenostylis · A. adhaerens · A. adherens · A. adiantoides · A. adinophylla · A. adnata · A. adoxa · A. adoxa var. adoxa · A. adoxa var. subglabra · A. adpressa · A. adstringens · A. adsurgens · A. adunca (Wallangarra Wattle) · A. aegyptiaca · A. aemula · A. aemula aemula · A. aemula muricata · A. aemula subsp. muricata · A. aestivalis · A. alata (Winged Wattle) · A. alata var. alata · A. alata var. biglandulosa · A. alata var. glabrata · A. alata var. platyptera · A. alata var. tetrantha · A. alaticaulis · A. alba · A. albescens · A. albicans · A. albicorticata (Espinillo Blanco) · A. albida · A. albizioides (Climbing Wattle) · A. albocorticata · A. alcockii · A. alemquerensis · A. alexandri · A. alleniana · A. allenii · A. alliacea · A. alocophylla · A. alpina (Alpine Wattle) · A. altiscandens · A. alvaroi · A. amabilis · A. amambayensis · A. amanda · A. amazonica · A. ambigua · A. amblygona (Fan Wattle)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 14, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. "Acacia". in Flora of Pakistan. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Mean = 461.920 meters (1,515.486 feet), Standard Deviation = 572.390 based on 697 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/1/2009