Harrow Wattle - profile

Scientific name: Acacia acanthoclada 
 Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Description

Acacia acanthoclada was first described as a rigid, divaricate and spinescent shrub with small rigid phyllodes which are narrow-cuneate and slightly notched at the apex (Bentham 1863-78). The Flora of NSW describes Acacia acanthoclada as an erect or spreading shrub, 0.3-1.5 m high; bark smooth, grey or occasionally slightly greenish; branchlets ± terete, spinose, densely hairy. Phyllodes ± straight, 0.2-0.6 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, midvein prominent, lateral veins sometimes conspicuous, apex acute to obtuse with a mucro, hairy; glands absent; pulvinus < 2 mm long. Heads 20-35-flowered, golden yellow, 1 in axil of phyllodes; peduncle 2-8 mm long. Pod twisted or coiled, ± flat, 3-6 cm long, 3-6 mm wide, brown, glaucous; seeds longitudinal; funicle expanded towards seed (Morrison & Davies 1991). In western NSW, Acacia acanthoclada plants are also described as low rigid shrubs with downy whitish branches and hard spiny branchlets (Cunningham et al. 1992).

Location and habitat

Distribution
 Found in the Buronga, Wentworth and Pooncarie districts in far south-western NSW, where it is uncommon. Also has a limited distribution in Victoria, SA and WA. Sites include Arumpo Station (adjacent to Arumpo Bentonite mine) and Montarna Station.

• Grows in mallee communities on ridges and dunes and very occasionally on rocky outcrops; generally grows in deep, loose, sandy soil.
• Associated species include Eucalyptus dumosa, E. socialis, E. gracilis, E. costata, Callitris verrucosa, Codonocarpus cotinifolius and Triodia scariosa.
• Flowers from August to October.
• Grows from seed, requiring a warm, well-drained position in full sun or a little shade; grows well in well-drained sandy or loamy soils but will tolerate some clay and is considered to be quite long-lived as plants can be very deeply rooted.
• Plants have been recorded in or adjacent to areas regenerating after fire.
• A population located at Arumpo Station is 3 - 4 hectares in size and comprises stunted and very woody plants; plants also noted as scattered, occasional and very sparse in populations.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Lower Murray/Darling

Threats

• Clearing is a major threat, with many populations located near roads and in mallee areas that are being cleared.
• The population at Arumpo Station is suffering overgrazing, mainly from kangaroos.
• Lack of knowledge and information about this species' ecology, particularly seedling recruitment, life cycle and lifespan.
• Remaining populations in NSW are very fragmented due to the paucity of available, non-degraded habitat; requires habitats with deep sandy soils in undisturbed mallee areas.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 17 priority actions to help recover the Harrow Wattle in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Protect from wildfires, and undertake experimental studies on the effects of fire.
• Protect from kangaroo grazing.
• Do not permit further clearing of potential habitat.
• Prevent further loss of extant populations.
• Undertake investigations into regeneration, including seed-set, germination and seedling survival.
• Baseline surveys are required to confirm known populations and locate new ones.
• Survey for new populations.

References

• Ayers, D., Nash, S. and Baggett, K. (1996) Threatened Species of Western New South Wales. NSW NPWS, Sydney.
• Bentham, G. (1863) Flora Australiensis. Volume 2. Reeve, London.
• Bowen, P.F. and Pressey, R.L. (1993) Localities and habitats of plants with restricted distributions in the Western Division of New South Wales. Occasional Paper No. 17. NSW NPWS, Sydney.
• Briggs J.D. and Leigh J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. CSIRO Publishing, Australia.
• Clements, A., Rodd, T., Moore, R.J., Crane, A.G. and Simpson, J. (2000) Surveys of areas having potentially high botanical diversity near Pooncarie, South Far Western Plains. Cunninghamia 6(3): 611-643.
• Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L. and Leigh, J.H. (1992) Plants of Western New South Wales. Inkata Press, Sydney.
• Hall, N. and Johnson, L.A.S. (1993) The names of acacias of New South Wales - with a guide to pronunciation of botanical names. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
• Maslin, B.R. and Pedley, L. (1982) The distribution of Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) in Australia. Part 1. Species distribution maps. Western Australian Herbarium Research Notes 6: 1-128.
• Morrison, D.A. and Davies, S.J. (1991) Acacia. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 2 (New South Wales University Press: Sydney).
• Mueller, F.J.H. von (1863) Acacia acanthoclada F. Muell. Fragmenta Phytographiae Australia 3: 127.
• Porteners, M.F. (1998) Tarawi Nature Reserve Threatened Plants Survey. Report to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Sydney).
• Pressey, R.L., Cohn, J.S. and Porter, J.L. (1990) Vascular plants with restricted distributions in the Western Division of New South Wales. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 112: 213-227.
• Simmons, M.H. (1981) Acacias of Australia. Nelson, Melbourne.
• Walsh N.G. and Entwisle T.J. (1998). Flora of Victoria; Volume 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
• Westbrooke, M.E., Miller, J.D. and Kerr, M.K.C. (1998) The vegetation of the Scotia 1:100 000 map sheet, western New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5(3): 665-684.
• Whibley, D.J.E. and Symon, D.E. (1992) Acacias of South Australia. Revised Second Edition. South Australian Government, Adelaide.