Monday 29 August 2016

SILVER WATTLE

Acacia dealbata (known as silver wattle, blue wattle or mimosa) is a species of Acacia, in the Fabaceae family, native to southeastern Australia in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory and widely introduced in Mediterranean, warm temperate, and highland tropical landscapes. These trees are widespread in Melbourne and they are in full bloom currently.

It is a fast-growing evergreen tree or shrub growing up to 30 m tall, typically a pioneer species after fire. The leaves are bipinnate, glaucous blue-green to silvery grey, 1–12 cm (occasionally to 17 cm) long and 1–11 cm broad, with 6–30 pairs of pinnae, each pinna divided into 10–68 pairs of leaflets; the leaflets are 0.7–6 mm long and 0.4–1 mm broad. The flowers are produced in large racemose inflorescences made up of numerous smaller globose bright yellow flowerheads of 13–42 individual flowers. The fruit is a flattened pod 2–11.5 cm long and 6–14 mm broad, containing several seeds. Trees generally do not live longer than 30 to 40 years, after which in the wild they are succeeded by other species where bushfires are excluded. In moist mountain areas, a white lichen can almost cover the bark, which may contribute to the descriptor "silver".

Acacia dealbata is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in warm temperate regions of the world, and is naturalised in some areas. The timber is useful for furniture and indoor work, but has limited uses, mainly in craft furniture and turning. It has a honey colour, often with distinctive figures like birdseye and tiger stripes. It has a medium weight (540–720 kg/m³), and is similar to its close relative blackwood, but of lighter tone without the dark heartwood. The flowers and tip shoots are harvested for use as cut flowers, when it is known by florist trade as "mimosa". In Italy, Albania, Russia and Georgia the flowers are also frequently given to women on International Women's Day. The essence of the flowers, called 'cassie' or 'opopanax', is used in perfumes. The leaves are sometimes used in Indian chutney.

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.



9 comments:

  1. Hello, very pretty blooms! Happy Monday, enjoy your new week ahead!

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  2. Beautiful - especially against that brilliant blue sky!

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  3. The bright yellow against the blue background is lovely.

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  4. They are beautiful! Have a great day!!

    Shantana

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  5. One would say they should be able to thrive in California, since it's a Mediterranean kind of climate! So beautiful and I remember the soft fragrance:) Thank you so much for sharing these beauties with SEASONS!

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  6. Love the yellow and blue color combo. Thank you for linking up with "Through My Lens"

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  7. Good morning Nick, I am sorry this visit is so late this week. Sometimes life just takes over and this was one of those weeks. Thank you for always joining Blue Monday.

    I am not familiar with the Silver Wattle tree. What a gorgeous tree. I wonder if it thrives in zone seven. We have winter weather but we are more temperate and still considered the South. I will look it up. Smile.

    Have a great weekend.
    Jeanne

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  8. Very beautiful perspectives of the lovely wattle. Love to see wattle along the roadside - as if welcoming spring.

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