Species profile—Acacia porcata

Classification

Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Leguminosae → Acacia porcata

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Species details

Kingdom

Plantae (plants)

Class

Equisetopsida (land plants)

Family

Leguminosae

Scientific name

Acacia porcata P.I.Forst.

WildNet taxon ID

14080

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status

Endangered

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status

Endangered

Conservation significant

Yes

Confidential

No

Endemicity

Native

Pest status

Nil

Short Notes

BRI 426479 (Holotype), 293473 (Isotype)

Description

Acacia porcata is a sprawling shrub growing to less than 0-5m tall. Branchlets are cylindrical in cross section, resinous and covered in dense, stiff, white hairs 1-1.5mm long, becoming greyish. Phyllodes (enlarged part of the leaf stalk taking the form of a leaf) are more or less cylindrical in shape (5-30mm long by 0.5mm in diameter), tapered at the base and end abruptly at a short straight or slightly incurved tip (0.25mm long). Phyllodes are sticky, olive-green in colour with a sparse covering of white hairs similar to those on the branchlets. They occur in groups of 13-19, arranged in a circle around the stem. Brown to red-brown stipules (outgrowths at the base of the leaf stalk) about 1mm long, are persistent in similar numbers to the phyllodes and are arranged in an upright whorl.
Flower heads are ball-shaped and contain 35-40 yellow flowers on 10-20mm long, sticky stalks, usually much longer than the phyllodes. Seed pods are flat, sticky, lacking a stalk and measure 11-27mm long by 5-6mm across. They have a ridge on the external surface that is along the middle, above the seeds. The pods contain 1-4 seeds arranged lengthways. Seeds are black, shiny and slightly sticky with a slight ridge on the side. Seeds measure 5mm long by 3.5mm wide by 1.5mm thick. The fleshy outer seed covering is white.
A. porcata appears to be most closely related to A. longipedunculata but differs in having thin and smooth outer, non-reproductive flower parts and a seed pod with a longitudinal ridge. The seed pods of A. porcata are unlike that of any other species and are also notable for the small number of compartments and seeds, single-seeded pods being quite common. Although several species of Acacia have sticky foliage, no other species has been recorded with sticky seeds. (Leverinton 2001; Maslin et al. 2001; World Wide Wattle 2006; DEWHA 2008)

Map

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Distribution

Acacia porcata is found at a small area in the Mundubbera Shire in the Burnett district of south-east Queensland. (Maslin et al. 2001; Herbrecs 2008)

Distributional limits

-25.98, 151.2941666
-25.9972223, 151.3369445

Range derivation

Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records

Habitat

Acacia porcata grows in open eucalypt woodlands and favours rocky ridges in hilly terrain and exposed positions with a high level of solar radiation. There appears to be a strong correlation of A. porcata with granite substrate. The soils on which the species is found are shallow, coarse, textured, loamy sands, weakly acidic and dark due to high organic content. (Leverington 2001; Maslin et al. 2001; Herbrecs 2008)

Behaviour

This species is a perennial shrub that could survive at least 10 years in the wild. Fire has been observed to kill individuals with no regeneration from the root, stem or shoots. Germination of seed is strongly promoted by fire but seedling mortality may be high. (Leverington 2001; Leverinton et al. 2003)

Reproduction

This shrub flowers from August to late September. Fruit forms in November/December and soon after maturing it opens naturally to release seeds. The species produces large amounts of viable seed annually. Field observations indicated much seed remains under the parent plant. The seeds have a small white aril (fleshy seed coat) that may promote secondary dispersal by ants. Some seed predation has been reported before it is dispersed. (Maslin et al. 2001; Leverington 2001; Leverington et al. 2003)

Threatening processes

Inappropriate fire regime, and small population size possibly leading to inbreeding depression in the long term.

Management documents

Conservation and management of protected plants in trade in Queensland 1995-1998. Department of Environment.
Leverington, A., R. Edgar & G. Gordon (2003). Multi-species recovery plan for Acacia eremophiloides, Acacia grandifolia, Acacia porcata, Bertya granitica and Newcastelia velutina 2003-2007. Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service. Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.

Notes

Contributors: Weslawa Misiak 10/09/1998; Ailsa Holland, Mellisa Mayhew 27/01/2009

References

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Acacia porcata in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 24/09/2008. http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat
Herbrecs (2008) Acacia porcata, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 24/09/2008.
Leverington, A. (2001). Recovery plan for Acacia porcata 1999-2001. Report to Environment Australia, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.
Leverington, A., Edgar, R. and Gordon, G. 2006. Multi-species recovery plan for Acacia eremophiloides, Acacia grandifolia, Acacia porcata, Bertya granitica and Newcastelia velutina 2006-2010. Report to Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.
Maslin, B.R., et al. in Orchard, A.E. & Wilson, A.J.G. (Ed) (2001). Flora of Australia 11B: 400.
World Wide Wattle (2006). Acacia porcata, in World Wide Wattle online. Accessed 24/09/2008. http://www.worldwidewattle.com/

Profile author

Ailsa Holland (27/01/2009)

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=14080.

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