Acacia coriacea explained

Acacia coriacea, commonly known as river jam, wirewood, desert oak, wiry wattle or dogwood, is a tree in the family Mimosoideae of family Fabaceae. Indigenous Australians know the plant as Gunandru.

Description

River jam grows to a height of about eight metres. It usually has just one or two main trunks. Like most Acacia species, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. These are thick and leathery, between 20 and 30 cm long, and narrow. The flowers are yellow, and held in spherical clusters about 5 mm in diameter. The pods are usually curled up, but are around 20 cm long when straightened. They are greatly constricted between the seeds.Indigenous Australians used the seeds of the plant as a food source.^[1]

Distribution

Acacia coriacea occurs throughout northern Australia, growing as a tall tree on the banks of rivers. It can also occur as a spreading, low tree behind coastal dunes and on 'spinifex' plains.^[2]

Common name issues

In some parts of A. coriaceas range the common name 'desert oak' is prevalent,^[3] but throughout the larger part of that range this name is often applied to another tree, Allocasuarina decaisneana.^{[4] [5]} The name 'dogwood' is used for numerous plant species in Australia and elsewhere, see Dogwood (disambiguation).

Varieties

There are three subspecies.^[6]

Acacia coriacea subsp. coriacea

Acacia coriacea subsp. pendens

• Acacia coriacea var. coriacea is a synonym for Acacia coriacea subsp. coriacea.^[7]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

General references

• • • Book: Mitchell, A. A. . Wilcox, D. G.. 1994. Arid Shrubland Plants of Western Australia. Second and Enlarged. University of Western Australia Press. Nedlands, Western Australia. 978-1-875560-22-6.

External links

• Acacia coriacea Photo

Notes and References

1. Book: Foraging and Farming: The Evolution of Plant Exploitation. David R. Harris. Gordon C. Hillman. 2014. Routledge. 9781317598299.
2. Book: Mitchell, A.A., Wilcox, D.G.. Arid Shrubland Plants of Western Australia. 1988. University of Western Australia Press. Perth. 978-1-875560-22-6 . 382.
3. Book: Jessop, J.P. . Toelken, H.R.. State Herbarium of South Australia. Flora of South Australia Part II. 1986. South Australian Government Printing Division. Adelaide. 0-7243-4656-2. 530.
4. Book: Jessop, J.P. . Toelken, H.R.. Flora of South Australia Part I. 1986. South Australian Government Printing Division. Adelaide. 0-7243-4648-1. 109.
5. Web site: Western Australian Herbarium. Allocasuarina decaisneana (F.Muell.) L.A.S.Johnson Desert Oak. Department of Environment and Conservation. 14 June 2013.
6. Web site: ABRS Flora of Australia Online Search Results.
7. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apx?taxon_id=6237 Australian Plant Name Index (APNI)