Acacia sophorae
Common names
coastal wattle
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Shrub up to 1-3 m high, but can be up to 10 m when occurring as dense ‘forest’ naturalised on dunes. With spreading habit and sharply angled twigs. Leaves reduced to phyllodes. Phyllodes narrowly elliptic to obovate, green and up to 110 x 25 mm with 2 prominent veins. Flowers in dark yellow in cylindrical spikes up to 45 mm long. Ripe seed pods brown and very contorted.
Similar taxa
This species is very similar to A. longifolia (var. longifolia) but can be distinguished by the broader phyllodes, and the very contorted pods.
Habitat
Occurs on sand dunes
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Acacia longifolia var. sophorae (Labill.) F. Muell.
Ecology
Flowering
July, August
Year naturalised
1997
Origin
Australia, East coast
Reason for introduction
Mainly as coastal shelter, especially for young plantings Pinus radiata forest on dunes; perhaps ornamental.
Tolerances
Tolerant of salt spray
Control techniques
There is little resprouting if shrubs are cut cut close to ground level.
Life cycle
Very fast growing species that thrives in sand dunes. Can have huge impacts in these systems. Prolific seed is produced in good years, can spread vegetatively if branches touch ground. Dispersed by people for coastal shelter and an ornamental shrub. Seed is spread locally by wind, sand and gravity, stem layering is also of some importance.
Other information
Etymology
acacia: Derived from Greek ‘akazo’ to sharpen, meaning point; spine or thorn.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
ACASOP
Referencing and citations
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ogle, C. (Year at time of access): Acacia sophorae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/acacia-sophorae/ (Date website was queried)