Species profile—Acacia handonis (Hando's wattle)

Classification

Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Leguminosae → Acacia handonis (Hando's wattle)

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Species details

Kingdom

Plantae (plants)

Class

Equisetopsida (land plants)

Family

Leguminosae

Scientific name

Acacia handonis Pedley

Common name

Hando's wattle

WildNet taxon ID

14074

Alternate name(s)

Percy Grant wattle

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status

Vulnerable

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status

Vulnerable

Conservation significant

Yes

Confidential

No

Endemicity

Native

Pest status

Nil

Short Notes

BRI 233624

Description

Acacia handonis (Hando's wattle, Percy Grant wattle) is a resinous, slender shrub growing to 2 m high. The branchlets are finely ribbed below the attachment of the phyllodes, and covered with short, scattered glandular hairs. The phyllodes are crowded, sometimes subverticillate, erect, straight but slightly recurved at the apex. When fresh the phyllodes are usually terete, and depressed-triquetrous when dry. They are 6 to 18 mm long, and 0.3 to 0.4 mm wide, mucronulate, tuberculate, with two indistinct longitudinal grooves when dry. The nerves are not evident. There is a minute gland sometimes found near the middle of the phyllode (Pedley, 1981; Maslin, 2001). The inflorescences are simple, globular heads, one per axil. They are bright yellow in colour, viscid, with approximately 30 flowers. The peduncles are mostly 6 to 10 mm long. The seed pods are narrowly oblong growing to 4 cm long and 3 to 4 mm wide, glabrous and flattened, with prominent raised cartilaginous growths on the valves. The seeds are approximately 4 mm long by 1.7 to 1.9 mm wide.
A. handonis is related to 'A. johnsonii ' group and resembles A. brunioides and A. islana but is readily distinguished by the distinctive pods with prominent cartilaginous growths (Pedley, 1981; Lithgow 1997; Maslin, 2001).

Map

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Distribution

Acacia handonis was originally known from one population on a ridge within Barakula State Forest, NNE of Chinchilla (Pedley, 1981; Hando, 2007). Over the past twenty years, the species has been found over a greater area (Lithgow, 1997). In 1994, the Chinchilla population was estimated to encompass approximately 28 ha of land and contain 10, 080 individuals (Halford, 1995a). More recent surveys have located two new populations north east of Chinchilla, 18 km from other previously recorded sites. These populations cover up to a hectare, with scattered plants throughout (Queensland Herbarium, 2011).

Distributional limits

-26.3659201, 150.7327585
-26.5441987, 150.9409867

Range derivation

Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records

Habitat

Acacia handonis inhabits gently undulating slopes and stony ridges with laterite soils. Associated vegetation includes open forest or woodland with varying density of understorey. Associated species include Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. nubila, Corymbia watsoniana subsp. watsoniana, Lysicarpus angustifolius, and Allocasuarina inophloia (Halford, 1995a). Other wattles growing in the area include Acacia conferta, A. complanata, A. julifera and A. juncifolia (Hando, 2007). Associated understorey species include Dodonaea falcata, Boronia bipinnata, B. glabra, Cleistochloa subjuncea, Entolasia stricta, Schoenus kennyi, Triodia scariosa subsp. yelarbonensis, and Lomandra multiflora subsp. multiflora (Halford, 1995a; DSEWPC, 2008).

Behaviour

Anecdotal evidence suggests that plants of A, handonis are mainly killed by fire. However, if the stem base has been protected, regrowth from near the base of the stem has been observed. It appears to be frost tolerant and there are no problems with pests such as borers (Halford, 1995a).

Reproduction

Little is known on the biology and ecology of A. handonis. It is easily propagated by seed and cultivated individuals can survive for at least ten years (Halford, 1995a). Flowering occurs from mid July to mid August with fruits formed in November (Halford, 1995; Queensland Herbarium, 2011).

Threatening processes

The main potential threat to A. handonis is inappropriate fire regimes (Halford, 1995a). Possible threatening processes include; destruction of habitat, disturbance of habitat by timber harvesting and inappropriate grazing regime (DSEWPC, 2008).

Status notes

Acacia handonis is listed as Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Vulnerable under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992

Management documents

Condamine Catchment Strategic Plan (CCMA, 2001); Approved Conservation Advice for Acacia handonis (DSEWPC, 2008);

Management recommendations

Four recovery actions were made for the management of Acacia handonis by Halford (1995b). These actions included: increased communication between DERM-QPWS and DERM-FP on the significance and extent of the populations; monitor populations through established plots; undertake biological investigation and search for additional sites. A recent study assessed these and made additional management recommendations which include careful planning of future road maintenance in A. handonis areas, continued monitoring of known populations and surveying for new populations, and limiting fire in burnt A. handonis areas until full recovery of killed stems is achieved (DERM, 2009).
Additional management recommendations include varying the interval between prescribed burns between 6-30 years; establish protective buffers of at least 0.25 ha with A. handonis at least 25 m inside the protective barrier, and monitor the impacts of grazing and adjust management accordingly (Barker, 1995; DSEWPC, 2008).

Notes

Occurs in the following Queensland pastoral district: Darling Downs.

References

Barker, M. (1995). Acacia handonis Species Management Profile, Department of Natural Resources, Queensland.
Bostock, P.D. and Holland, A.E. (eds) (2010). Census of the Queensland Flora 2010. Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane.
Condamine Catchment Management Association (CCMA) (2001). Condamine Catchment Strategic Plan, Accessed 15/10/2011.
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPC) (2008). Acacia handonis in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra. Accessed 19/07/2011. http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat.
Halford, D. (1995a) Acacia handonis Pedley (Mimosaceae) - A conservation research statement. Australian Nature Conservation Agency Program No. 482.
Halford, D. (1995a) Draft recovery plan for Acacia handonis Pedley (Mimosaceae). Australian Nature Conservation Agency Program No. 482.
Hando, V. (2007). One of Australia's rarest wattles - Acacia handonis. Association of Australian Plant Growers Acacia Study Group Newsletter 99: 9-10.
Lithgow, G. (1997). Sixty Wattles of the Chinchilla and Murilla Shires, M.G. Lithgow, Chinchilla, Queensland.
Maslin, B.R. (1999). Acacia handonis. Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Accessed 21/06/2012. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/flora/main/index.html.
Pedley, L. (1981). Further notes on Acacia in Queensland. Austrobaileya 1: 344.
Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) (2009). Acacia handonis Fire Sensitivity Monitoring. Report.
Queensland Herbarium (2011). Specimen label information. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 21/07/2011.

Profile author

Lynise Wearne (28/06/2012)

Other resources

• Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)
• The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)
• Atlas of Living Australia

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=14074.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.