Acacia chamaeleon
| Acacia chamaeleon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Near Pingrup | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Acacia |
| Species: | A. chamaeleon
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| Binomial name | |
| Acacia chamaeleon | |
| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Acacia chamaeleon is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an openly crowned, sparingly-branched, glabrous shrub with narrowly linear to thread-like or lance-shaped phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, spherical heads of more or less golden yellow flowers, and linear, firmly papery to thinly leathery pods.
Description
[edit]Acacia chamaeleon is an openly crowned shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in). It is single-stemmed or sparingly branched near ground level. The phyllodes are variable in shape and size, mostly narrowly linear to thread-like, or lance-shaped to narrowly lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base 60–210 mm (2.4–8.3 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide. The flowers are borne a spherical heads in four to seven racemes 10–42 mm (0.39–1.65 in) long, on peduncles mostly 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. Each head is 5.5–7 mm (0.22–0.28 in) in diameter with 23 to 37 more or less golden yellow flowers. Flowering occurs throughout the year with peaks in May and December, and the pods are linear, firmly papery to thinly leathery, scarcely constricted between the seeds, up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide. The seeds are oblong to elliptic, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long with a club-shaped aril.[2][3][4][5][6]
Taxonomy
[edit]Acacia chamaeleon was first formally described in 1995 by Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected about 8 km (5.0 mi) north of Ongerup in 1971.[2][7] The specific epithet (chamaeleon) means 'a lizard' that is changeable in its colour, referring to the phyllodes "which are very variable in shape and size".[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]This species of wattle is found in clay or loam in shrubland on undulating plains, flats and rises in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3][6]
Conservation status
[edit]Acacia chamaeleon is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Acacia chamaeleon". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Maslin, Bruce R. (1995). "Acacia Miscellany 14. Taxonomy of some Western Australian "Uninerves-Racemosae" species (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: section Phyllodineae)". Nuytsia. 10 (2): 189–191. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia chamaeleon". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Acacia chamaeleon". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Acacia chamaeleon". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Lucid Central. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Acacia chamaeleon". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Acacia chamaeleon". APNI. Retrieved 19 June 2025.