Acacia willardiana
Encyclopedia
Acacia willardiana, also called Palo Blanco tree, palo liso, guinola and Willard Acacia, is a normally evergreen
plant in the genus Acacia
native to Arizona
, Mexico
. The Spanish common name translates into 'white stick', defining its peeling white bark. A compound called Willardiine, that acts as an agonist
in glutamate receptor
s, can be isolated from A. willardiana.
. The leaf-stems resemble its leaves
or cladophylls. it has a white or yellow-colored peeling off bark. The leaves have 5-6 leaflets in the end. It may drop leaves in autumn and winter. The flowers are like catkin
s, rod or bottle-brush-like, white or light yellow in color. The pods are multichambered, and 3-4 in long specimens. The flowers occur in pale yellow spikes.
(Mexico
), its native place, in rocky bajdas, slope
s and arroyos
from 0 to 2,000 feet elevation
.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
plant in the genus Acacia
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 Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The Spanish common name translates into 'white stick', defining its peeling white bark. A compound called Willardiine, that acts as an agonist
Agonist
An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...
in glutamate receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...
s, can be isolated from A. willardiana.
Description
It can grow 10-20ft or more with a spread of 1/3 to 2/3 the height. It is a very slender tree with few branches as well as leavesLeaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
. The leaf-stems resemble its leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
or cladophylls. it has a white or yellow-colored peeling off bark. The leaves have 5-6 leaflets in the end. It may drop leaves in autumn and winter. The flowers are like catkin
Catkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
s, rod or bottle-brush-like, white or light yellow in color. The pods are multichambered, and 3-4 in long specimens. The flowers occur in pale yellow spikes.
Distribution and habitat
The plant is found in the western Sonora desert and northwestern SinaloaSinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
(Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), its native place, in rocky bajdas, slope
Slope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
s and arroyos
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
from 0 to 2,000 feet elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
.