Acacia cambagei
Encyclopedia
Acacia cambagei, commonly known as Gidgee , Stinking wattle or Stinking gidgee is an endemic
tree of Australia
. It is found primarily in semi-arid and arid Queensland
but extends into the Northern Territory
, South Australia
and north-western New South Wales
. It can reach up to 12 meters in height and can form extensive open woodland communities. The leaves, bark and litter of A. cambagei produce a characteristic odour, vaguely reminiscent of boiled cabbage, that accounts for the common name of "stinking gidgee".
Confined to regions between 550mm and 200mm annual rainfall, A. cambagei is found primarily on flat and gently undulating terrain on heavy and relatively fertile clay and clay-loam soils in the eastern part of it range, and often forms mixed communities with brigalow which favours the same soil types. In drier regions gigee is found primarily on red earths and loams in wetter depression and low relief areas. Gidgee communities are floristically similar to brigalow communities. Eucalyptus
cambageana, E. populnea
, Corymbia terminalis, Eremophila mitchellii
and Geijera
parviflora are typical woody species associated with gidgee communities..
Species associated with gidgee have a limited capacity to resprout following fire damage . Fire in any gidgee woodland would be a rare event under natural circumstances, since pasture is at best sparse in these communities, consisting of Chloris
, Paspalidium
, Dicanthium, Sporobolus
and Eragrostis species .
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
tree of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is found primarily in semi-arid and arid Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
but extends into the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and north-western New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It can reach up to 12 meters in height and can form extensive open woodland communities. The leaves, bark and litter of A. cambagei produce a characteristic odour, vaguely reminiscent of boiled cabbage, that accounts for the common name of "stinking gidgee".
Confined to regions between 550mm and 200mm annual rainfall, A. cambagei is found primarily on flat and gently undulating terrain on heavy and relatively fertile clay and clay-loam soils in the eastern part of it range, and often forms mixed communities with brigalow which favours the same soil types. In drier regions gigee is found primarily on red earths and loams in wetter depression and low relief areas. Gidgee communities are floristically similar to brigalow communities. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
cambageana, E. populnea
Eucalyptus populnea
Eucalyptus populnea, commonly known as Poplar box or Bimble box is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found in central and coastal Queensland to northern New South Wales. It can reach up to 25 meters tall and forms extensive open-forest communities in arid and sem-arid regions...
, Corymbia terminalis, Eremophila mitchellii
Eremophila mitchellii
Eremophila mitchellii , also known as False Sandalwood, is a shrub or small tree which is native to Australia.-Description:This species grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree up to 10 metres in height. The leaves are linear to linear-lancelote and range between 2 and 6 cm in length and...
and Geijera
Geijera
Geijera is a genus in the Rutaceae family with approximately 8 species of shrubs and small trees native to Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. The one most known to horticulture is G. parviflora, better known as the wilga. Another species, G. paniculata is known as axebreaker, due to its hard...
parviflora are typical woody species associated with gidgee communities..
Species associated with gidgee have a limited capacity to resprout following fire damage . Fire in any gidgee woodland would be a rare event under natural circumstances, since pasture is at best sparse in these communities, consisting of Chloris
Chloris (plant)
Chloris is a genus of grasses which are known generally as windmill grass or finger grass.These grasses are found worldwide, but especially in the tropical and subtropical regions, and more often in the Southern Hemisphere...
, Paspalidium
Paspalidium
Paspalidium is a genus of grass in the Poaceae family.-External links:*...
, Dicanthium, Sporobolus
Sporobolus
Sporobolus is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae. They are usually called dropseed grasses or sacaton grasses. They are typical prairie and savanna plants, and they occur in other types of open habitat in warmer climates....
and Eragrostis species .