Acacia Mill.

Wattles

959 species in Aust. (c. 945 endemic); all states and territories

Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, bipinnate or modified into phyllodes (Fig. 38); often with nectiferous glands on the petioles, rhachies or margin of the phyllodes; stipules present or absent. Flowers small, regular, yellow or cream, in globular heads or spikes. Sepals 4–5. Petals 4–5, valvate, sometimes coherent but usually free. Stamens numerous, free or nearly so. Legumes linear or oblong, flat to terete, straight, falcate or twisted, opening down both sutures. Funicle usually thickened under or around the seed into an aril.(To count the number of flowers in a head most easily, select a head in which the flowers are just about to open and count the flower buds)