Description
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."Acacia". in Flora of Pakistan. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
)
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
)
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Fabanae
(
)
- R. Dahlgren Ex Reveal, 1993
- Order:
Fabales
(
)
- Bromhead, 1838
- Family:
Fabaceae
(
)
- Lindley, 1836
- Bean Family
- Subfamily:
Mimosoideae
(
)
- Subfamily:
Mimosoideae
(
- Family:
Fabaceae
(
- Order:
Fabales
(
- Superorder:
Fabanae
(
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Acacia julifera curvinervia (Maiden) Pedley
Similar Species
Members of the genus Acacia
There are approximately 2819 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
A. hanburyana · A. 'Cascade' · A. 'Clair de Lune' · A. 'Mireille' · A. 'Rustica' · A. 'Winter Gold' · 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 burkitii · 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. 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. albescens · A. albicorticata (Aromo) · A. albizioides · A. albocorticata · A. alcockii · A. alemquerensis · A. alexandri · A. alleniana · A. allenii · A. alliacea · A. alocophylla · A. alpina · A. altiscandens · A. alvaroi · A. amabilis · A. amaliae var. amaliae · A. amambayensis · A. amanda · A. amazonica · A. amblycarpa · A. amblygona · A. amblyophylla
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Notes
Contributors
- MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed August 13, 2008.
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3773453
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13669953
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:956491-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3498150
