Acacia brachybotrya
1 Grey Mulga, Grey Wattle at Watson, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Acacia brachybotrya | Tapirlord | 27 Oct 2022 | |
| Acacia aureocrinita | Tapirlord | 20 Oct 2022 | |
| Unverified | MPW | 18 Oct 2022 |
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Significant sighting
abread111 noted:
28 Oct 2022
This is the first record of this wattle on CNM, it is not in the Census of Plants of the ACT v 4.1 of 2019, and it has only been collected once previously in 1998 from a site nearby on the Federal Highway (sample in the National Herbarium of Victoria, data from the Atlas of Living Australia).
User's notes
An Acacia species I have not seen in this area before, just one plant located sofar. Very distinctive Phyllodes and inflorescence arrangement. Shrub is about 1.5m high by 1m wide, growing in semishaded location, in Eucalypt grassy woodland Habitat. Within 5m of a stream / drainage line.
20 comments
19 Oct 2022
Could be A. vestita, the Whooly wattle, a non-local species. Phyllodes (leaf-like structures) have one mid vein with a fine-curved point off-centre; phyllodes and stems hairy.
See for instance Acacia vestita (Hairy Wattle)
A close-up of a leaf would be great to confirm.
See for instance Acacia vestita (Hairy Wattle)
A close-up of a leaf would be great to confirm.
19 Oct 2022
Unfortunately my photos are slightly blurry. I will go back & Check. I do not recollect seeing so much "fur" on the stems, as the one in A.vestita pic...
19 Oct 2022
Max when you go back, measure the phyllode length and width. A sample would be good if you cannot get sharp close-up photos, to look for "fur", glands, etc. The A. vestita was flowering at the end of August at Issacs Ridge, and had longer inflorescences.
19 Oct 2022
Great Max. first thing to look for is whether a phyllode has only one main vein; second thing, flower arrangement: globular flower heads on a single stem or in racemes? Raceme might be short ie just with a few globular flowerheads. It is a bit hard to see in your photographs...
19 Oct 2022
Agree with Barbara here, a sample is the best course of action. This isn't one of the 22 local wattles so could be anything in theory. Vestita tends to have a drooping form which this doesn't have, and the phyllode shape doesn't seem quite right to me either. We shall see what the result of the sample is.
19 Oct 2022
With all the plantings along Fed highway we don't know what we get in the reserve ... also, wattles love to mingle with each other (cross pollinate... )
19 Oct 2022
Collected specimen, Uploaded new photos with better lighting + Measurements. I think W. could be right about hairy stems and also on Phyllode edges. Single mid main vein. Still only 1 plant located. Probably a Fed Highway import straggler ? 🙃 I have 2 specimen branchlets, give to whoever wants this souvenir....
19 Oct 2022
I agree with Tapirlord, it is A. aureocrinita when I keyed it using the close up pics and measurements.
But I seem to have lost my moderator's tools...
Its not on the ACT census, Max - so keep those samples.
But I seem to have lost my moderator's tools...
Its not on the ACT census, Max - so keep those samples.
20 Oct 2022
Max please wrap it in a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge until you can pass it on to Barb or me - we will pass it on to Isobel for registration with the herbarium and confirmation.
It seems the first in ACT so the sample is important!
It seems the first in ACT so the sample is important!
26 Oct 2022
Keys (with some difficulty!) to Acacia brachybotrya. Inflorescence is racemose.
26 Oct 2022
Thanks so much Isobel, how interesting... the "plot thickens"... Sorry it was a hassle from the specimen etc. To key out. Is this A.brachybotrya a local species ? Any other records nearby / in ACT ? Regards: M.
27 Oct 2022
ALA gives distribution of A. brachybotrya as '... distributed widely throughout semi-arid parts of south eastern Australia from around Yalata in the west to around Bendigo in Victoria in the east and as far north as Nymagee in New South Wales where it is found growing in many different soil types and often part of mallee communities.[3]'
The closest record for A. aureocrinita is Numeralla, I think.
I shall endeavour to collect more flowering material, and fruiting material too when available, as fruit/seed characters are a useful separator. Max, have you time on weekend to help me locate the plant?
The closest record for A. aureocrinita is Numeralla, I think.
I shall endeavour to collect more flowering material, and fruiting material too when available, as fruit/seed characters are a useful separator. Max, have you time on weekend to help me locate the plant?
27 Oct 2022
Happy to help with that Isobel, just leave me an email or sms message to arrange. W. has my details. I have a feeling there could be more of these shrubs, alongside Federal Highway ? I shall do a walkabout to investigate 🙂
27 Oct 2022
You are right about the Federal Highway Max, at least there was one collected from there on 25 August 1998, from the roadside embankment 1.2 km N of the Antill Road intersection, and its in the National Herbarium of Victoria MEL2105911A catalogue number, according to the ALA. There are 3 other samples mapped from Canberra - all glasshouse grown at CSIRO.
29 Oct 2022
Have looked around this site and along Federal Highway, nearby for 2km or so. No other plants of this species found sofar.
Location information
- Places Watson, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- MPW Recorded by
- 1 metre to 5 metres Plant height
- Yes In flower
Collections
- My flagged sightings Significant MPW Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Acacia brachybotrya Wattles Plants
Species information
- Acacia brachybotrya Scientific name
- Grey Mulga, Grey Wattle Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Non-local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 668.94m Recorded at altitude
Seasonal activity
-
In flower
JFMAMJJASOND
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Description
- Additional attributes
- GPS evidence of location