Wanderrie wattle | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Genus: | Acacia |
Species: | A. kempeana |
Binomial name | |
Acacia kempeana F.Muell. |
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Range of Acacia kempeana |
Acacia kempeana (Acacia or ακακία (akakia) from the Greek word Akis for thorn and kempeana after Pastor Kempe, co-founder of Lutheran Mission at Hermannburg-Ntaria in 1877), commonly known as wanderrie wattle, witchetty bush or granite wattle, is a shrub in subfamily Mimosoideae of family Fabaceae. Endemic to Australia, it is widely distributed through arid and semi-arid inland areas of Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
Wanderrie wattle grows as a spreading shrub with many stems, to a height of about four metres. Like most Acacia species, it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. These are a bright green colour, flat, up to nine centimetres long and 1½ centimetres wide. The flowers are yellow, and held in cylindrical clusters between one and two centimetres long. The pods are papery, about seven centimetres long and 1½ centimetres wide.
The common name "witchetty bush" refers to the fact that Australian Aborigines obtained witchetty grubs from the roots. The bush also provided edible gum and seeds.