Acacia strongylophylla, commonly known as round-leaf wattle,[2] is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineaeendemic to central Australia.
Habit
Description
The erect, glabrous, spinescent and straggly shrub typically grows to a height of 1 to 3 metres (3 to 10 ft).[2] The yellowish-green to reddish-brown branchlets are slightly flattened and have smooth thin brown coloured bark.[3] The evergreen flat dull phyllodes have a rhomboid-orbicular shape and are up to 2 centimetres (0.8 in) in length and width and have one prominent major vein.[3] It blooms between June and October forming yellow flowers.[2] The simple axillary flower-spikes are usually solitary or occur in pairs and have large spherical deep golden-yellow flower-heads. Following flowering brown seed pods form that have an oblong shape and are around 8 cm (3 in) in length and 12 millimetres (0.472 in) wide. The pods are flat but raised over each seed.[3] The hard shiny black-brown[4] seeds have an ovoid shape and are about 5 mm (0.197 in) with a width of around 3.5 mm (0.138 in).[3]
The species name is taken from the Greek words strongylos meaning round and phyllon meaning a leaf referring to the shape of the leaves on the plant.[3]
A. strongylophylla is a part of the Acacia pyrifolia group but can be distinguished by the non-racemose inflorescences.[4]
Distribution
It is native to arid desert areas in the north western South Australia, southern Northern Territory[3] and the north eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.[2] It is found along watercourses,[4] on rocky hillsides and valley floors and walls growing in shallow red sandy soils.[3] It is usually a part of tall shrubland communities with other Acacia and Eucalyptus species.[4]
