Acacia leprosa
Encyclopedia
Acacia leprosa, also known as Cinnamon Wattle, is an acacia
native to Australia. It occurs in woodland in New South Wales
and Victoria
. It occurs as a hardy shrub or small tree. The phyllodes (a modified flat leaf-like structure arising through an expanded petiole replacing the leaf blade) are 3-14 cm long and contain oil glands. The lemon-yellow flower
s occur as globular heads in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit
is flat seed pod.
A number of varieties are currently recognised within the species including:
Former varieties include:
The cultivar Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze'
is the only Australian wattle to have red
inflorescences (all the rest are yellow or cream-colored, except for Acacia purpureapetala, which has purple flowers). It was discovered northeast of Melbourne
, Australia
, in 1995, and released commercially in 2001.
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
native to Australia. It occurs in woodland in 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...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. It occurs as a hardy shrub or small tree. The phyllodes (a modified flat leaf-like structure arising through an expanded petiole replacing the leaf blade) are 3-14 cm long and contain oil glands. The lemon-yellow flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s occur as globular heads in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is flat seed pod.
A number of varieties are currently recognised within the species including:
- A. leprosa var. crassipoda Maslin & D.J.Murphy - type: Pyrenees RangePyrenees (Victoria)The Pyrenees is a wine region centred on the Pyrenees ranges located in Victoria, Australia near the town of Avoca.The altitude of the ranges is 300 to over 750 m...
, Victoria - A. leprosa var. graveolens Maslin & D.J.Murphy - formerly known as Acacia vernicifluaAcacia vernicifluaAcacia verniciflua, commonly known as Varnish Wattle, is a shrub or small tree species that is endemic to Australia.It has an erect or spreading habit, growing to between 1 and 6 metres high, The phyllodes are often sticky and lustrous and vary in length, width and shape...
(Southern variant), type: Gippsland LakesGippsland LakesThe Gippsland Lakes are a network of lakes, marshes and lagoons in east Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering an area of about 600 km2. The largest of the lakes are Lake Wellington , Lake King and Lake Victoria. They are fed by the Avon, Thomson, Latrobe, Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo... - A. leprosa Sieber ex DC. var. leprosa
- A. leprosa var. magna Maslin & D.J.Murphy - type: Cape OtwayCape OtwayCape Otway is a cape in south Victoria, Australia on the Great Ocean Road; much of the area is enclosed in the Otway National Park.-History:...
, Victoria - A. leprosa var. uninervia Maslin & D.J.Murphy, formerly known as A. leprosa (large phyllode variant), type: near Healesville, Victoria
Former varieties include:
- A. leprosa var. binervis F.Muell., currently included in Acacia vernicifluaAcacia vernicifluaAcacia verniciflua, commonly known as Varnish Wattle, is a shrub or small tree species that is endemic to Australia.It has an erect or spreading habit, growing to between 1 and 6 metres high, The phyllodes are often sticky and lustrous and vary in length, width and shape...
- A.leprosa var. tenuifolia Benth. also known as A. leprosa (Seymour variant), currently included in Acacia vernicifluaAcacia vernicifluaAcacia verniciflua, commonly known as Varnish Wattle, is a shrub or small tree species that is endemic to Australia.It has an erect or spreading habit, growing to between 1 and 6 metres high, The phyllodes are often sticky and lustrous and vary in length, width and shape...
- A. leprosa (Dandenong Range variant), A. leprosa var. elongata Guilf. [nom. inval.] or A. leprosa var. Reclinata, currently known as Acacia stictophyllaAcacia stictophyllaAcacia stictophylla, also known as Dandenong Range Cinnamon Wattle, is a species of Acacia that is endemic to Victoria, Australia. The species was first formally described in the botanical journal Muelleria in 2009...
The cultivar Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze'
Acacia leprosa 'Scarlet Blaze'
Acacia 'Scarlet Blaze is a cultivar of Acacia leprosa originating from Victoria in Australia. It is noted for its unusual red flowers.-Description:It is a small tree or large shrub, growing to 5 metres high and 3 metres wide...
is the only Australian wattle to have red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
inflorescences (all the rest are yellow or cream-colored, except for Acacia purpureapetala, which has purple flowers). It was discovered northeast of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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...
, in 1995, and released commercially in 2001.
Cultivation
The species prefers a well drained sunny or lightly shaded situation. Propagation is by pretreated seeds or cuttings.External links
- http://www.anbg.gov.au/federation-flora/vic-scarlet-blaze/
- http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/horticulture/scarlet_blaze