AusTraits

Acacia pycnantha

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Fabaceae

Taxonomy: Acacia pycnantha Benth.

Synonyms: 8 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Acacia falcinella Meisn. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Acacia petiolaris Lehm. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Acacia pycnantha Benth. var. pycnantha (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Acacia pycnantha var. diglandulosa Reader (taxonomic synonym)
  • Acacia pycnantha var. petiolaris H.Vilm. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Acacia westoni Maiden (taxonomic synonym)
  • Acacia westonii Maiden (taxonomic synonym)
  • Racosperma pycnanthum (Benth.) Pedley (nomenclatural synonym)
Misapplied names: 1 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Acacia leiophylla Benth. (pro parte misapplied)

Distribution (APC): WA (naturalised), SA, NSW (native and naturalised), ACT, Vic, Tas (naturalised)

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, SA eFlora, Vic Flora, Florabase, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: ABRS_2022 (3), ABRS_2023 (20), Andrew_2022 (9), Burrows_2001 (19), Cheal_2017 (8), Chen_2017 (4), Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Dong_2017 (22), Draper_2023 (3), Gallagher_2011_1 (1), Gallagher_2011_3 (1), Kew_2019_1 (8), Kew_2019_4 (1), Kew_2019_5 (1), Kew_2019_6 (4), Manea_2011 (1), Maslin_2012 (13), McGlone_2015 (6), Morgan_2011_2 (2), Munroe_2019 (1), NHNSW_2014_2 (5), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (14), NSWFRD_2014 (9), RBGV_2022 (3), RBGV_2023 (19), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (14), Schmidt_1993 (1), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Staples_2019 (80), WAH_2022_1 (3), WAH_2022_2 (3), WAH_2023_2 (2), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), White_2020 (19), Williams_2005 (4), Williams_2011 (9), Wright_2000 (6), Yang_2023 (3), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (20). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 97 traits from 359 records in 43 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response
  • resprouting_capacity (categorical): fire_killed (4); resprouts (1) [sources: Cheal_2017; Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020; Yang_2023]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (4) [sources: Cheal_2017; Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014; Yang_2023]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): yellow_orange (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; eFLOWER_Dun_2022]
  • sex_type (categorical): andromonoecious (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_length (numerical): 90 mm (50-140 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • fruit_width (numerical): 6.12 mm (5-8 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • fruit_type (categorical): legume (6) [sources: ABRS_2023; Chen_2017; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (2) [sources: Chen_2017; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (2) [sources: Chen_2017; Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 1694.41 mm2 (832-5989.92 mm2) [sources: Andrew_2022; Burrows_2001; Staples_2019]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 129.17 mm (60-200 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; ABRS_2023; Maslin_2012; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 25 mm (5-50 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; ABRS_2023; Maslin_2012; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 452.48 mg (167-1526 mg) [sources: Burrows_2001; Staples_2019]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 228.65 g/m2 (147.71-305.51 g/m2) [sources: Burrows_2001; Dong_2017; Gallagher_2011_3; Morgan_2011_2; Staples_2019]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): falcate (3); narrowly_elliptical (1); narrowly_ovate (1); oblanceolate (4); obovate (1) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_base_shape (categorical): attenuate (2); oblique (1) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (4) [sources: Andrew_2022; Maslin_2012; McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2014_2]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): recurved (1) [sources: ABRS_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (1); phyllode (5) [sources: ABRS_2023; Andrew_2022; Maslin_2012; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (3) [sources: Munroe_2019; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): shrub (10); tree (11) [sources: ABRS_2022; Maslin_2012; McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): phanerophyte (2) [sources: Williams_2005; Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (10) [sources: ABRS_2022; Cheal_2017; Maslin_2012; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023; Williams_2005]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): woody (7) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): erect (1); spreading (1) [sources: NHNSW_2022]
  • leaf_phenology (categorical): evergreen (1) [sources: Maslin_2012]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): nitrogen_fixer (3) [sources: Dong_2017; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • root_structure (categorical): ectomycorrhizal (1) [sources: Schmidt_1993]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): insect (2) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): biotic_unspecialised (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): ballistic (1); myrmecochory (3); zoochory (2) [sources: Draper_2023; Kew_2019_5; White_2020; Williams_2005; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): ants (1); invertebrates (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnyyynn (1); nnnnnnyyyyyn (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (2) [sources: NSWFRD_2014; Yang_2023]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): long_persistent (1); persistent (2) [sources: Cheal_2017; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seed_dormancy_class (categorical): physical_dormancy (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (2) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2005]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): non_clonal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): none (1) [sources: Clarke_2015]
nutrient and stable isotope
  • leaf_N_per_dry_mass (numerical): 26.29 mg/g (24.85-27.99 mg/g) [sources: Dong_2017]
  • leaf_delta13C (numerical): -28.84 {delta}[ppth] (-30.6--26.57 {delta}[ppth]) [sources: Dong_2017]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 18.01 mg (14.9-21 mg) [sources: Andrew_2022; Kew_2019_1; Morgan_2011_2]
  • seed_length (numerical): 5.83 mm (5.5-6 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; Maslin_2012; RBGV_2023]
  • seed_shape (categorical): ellipsoid (2); ovoid (1); ovoid_elongated (2) [sources: ABRS_2023; Maslin_2012; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
stem morphology
  • wood_density (numerical): 0.62 mg/mm3 (0.6-0.66 mg/mm3) [sources: Staples_2019]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Staples_2019480T. Staples, J. M. Dwyer, J. R. England, and M. M. Mayfield. “Productivity does not correlate with species and functional diversity in Australian reforestation plantings across a wide climate gradient”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 28.10 (2019), pp. 1417-1429. doi: 10.1111/geb.12962.
Dong_2017822N. Dong, I. C. Prentice, B. J. Evans, S. Caddy-Retalic, A. J. Lowe, and I. J. Wright. “Leaf nitrogen from first principles: field evidence for adaptive variation with climate”. Biogeosciences 14.2 (2017), pp. 481-495. doi: 10.5194/bg-14-481-2017.
ABRS_20231420Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: http://www.ausflora.org.au.
eFLOWER_Dun_20221920L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
Burrows_2001419G. E. Burrows. “Comparative anatomy of the photosynthetic organs of 39 xeromorphic species from subhumid New South Wales, Australia”. International Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (2001), pp. 411-430. doi: 10.1086/319579.
RBGV_20231319VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
White_20201919M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
NHNSW_2023914N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
SAH_2023914S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Maslin_20121013B. Maslin. WATTLE, Interactive Identification of Australian Acacia. Version 2. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, 2014.
Andrew_202279S. C. Andrew, P. A. Arnold, A. K. Simonsen, and V. F. Briceño. “Consistently high heat tolerance acclimation in response to a simulated heatwave across species from the broadly distributed”. Functional Plant Biology 50.1 (2022). Ed. by S. Allakhverdiev, pp. 71-83. ISSN: 1445-4416. doi: 10.1071/fp22173.
NSWFRD_201489B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Williams_201199R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
Cheal_201788D. Cheal. Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets. Fire and adaptive management, report no. 84. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, 2010.
Kew_2019_118Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
McGlone_201566M. S. McGlone, S. J. Richardson, G. J. Jordan, and G. L. Perry. “Is there a `suboptimal' woody species height? A response to Scheffer et al.”. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30.1 (2015), pp. 4-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.09.007.
Wright_200036I. J. Wright, H. T. Clifford, R. Kidson, M. L. Reed, B. L. Rice, and M. Westoby. “A survey of seed and seedling characters in 1744 Australian dicotyledon species: Cross-species trait correlations and correlated trait-shifts within evolutionary lineages”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 69 (2000), pp. 521-547. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2000.tb01222.x.
NHNSW_2014_255Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Chen_201744Chen, S.-C., Cornwell, W., Z. H.-X., Moles, and A. T. “Plants show more flesh in the tropics: Variation in fruit type along latitudinal and climatic gradients.”. Ecography 40 (2017), pp. 531-538. doi: abs/10.1111/ecog.02010.
Kew_2019_614Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Germination data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
NHNSW_202244N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_200644A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Williams_200544N. S. G. Williams, J. W. Morgan, M. J. McDonnell, and M. A. McCarthy. “Plant traits and local extinctions in natural grasslands along an urban-rural gradient”. Journal of Ecology 93.6 (2005), pp. 1203-1213. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01039.x.
ABRS_202233Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.ausflora.org.au.
Clarke_201533P. J. Clarke, M. J. Lawes, B. P. Murphy, J. Russell-Smith, C. E. Nano, R. Bradstock, N. J. Enright, J. B. Fontaine, C. R. Gosper, I. Radford, J. J. Midgley, and R. M. Gunton. “A synthesis of postfire recovery traits of woody plants in Australian ecosystems”. Science of The Total Environment 534 (2015), pp. 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.002.
Draper_202333J. T. Draper, S. Delean, J. G. Conran, P. Weinstein, and B. S. Simpson. “Life-history characteristics and climate correlates of dioecious plant species in central southern Australia”. Australian Journal of Botany unknown.unknown (2023), p. unknown. doi: 10.1071/BT22110.
RBGV_202233VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
SAH_202233S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
WAH_2022_133Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
WAH_2022_233Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Yang_202333S. Yang. “Unpublished data: Fire response traits scored from national and state floras and the taxonomic literature, University of New South Wales”. 2023.
Morgan_2011_222J. Morgan. “Unpublished data: Trait database, La Trobe University”. 2011.
WAH_2023_212Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Collette_202111J. C. Collette and M. K. J. Ooi. “Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature”. Annals of Botany 127.5 (2021), pp. 613-620. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaa203.
Gallagher_2011_111R. V. Gallagher, M. R. Leishman, J. T. Miller, C. Hui, D. M. Richardson, J. Suda, and P. Travnicek. “Invasiveness in introduced Australian acacias: The role of species traits and genome size”. Diversity and Distributions 17 (2011), pp. 884-897. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00805.x.
Gallagher_2011_311R. V. Gallagher, M. R. Leishman, J. T. Miller, C. Hui, D. M. Richardson, J. Suda, and P. Travnicek. “Invasiveness in introduced Australian acacias: The role of species traits and genome size”. Diversity and Distributions 17 (2011), pp. 884-897. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00805.x.
Kew_2019_411Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Oil content data from Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Kew_2019_511Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed dispersal data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Manea_201111A. Manea. “Unpublished data: Dispersal appendage data for Acacia via Worldwide Wattle, Macquarie University”. 2011.
Munroe_201911S. E. M. Munroe, F. A. McInerney, J. Andrae, N. Welti, G. R. Guerin, E. Leitch, T. Hall, S. Szarvas, R. Atkins, S. Caddy-Retalic, and B. Sparrow. “The Photosynthetic Pathways of Plant Species Surveyed in Australia's National Terrestrial Monitoring Network”. Scientific Data 8 (2021), p. 97. doi: 10.1038/s41597-021-00877-z.
Schmidt_199311S. Schmidt. “Unpublished data: Compilation of mycorrhizal status data, University of Queensland”. 1993.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.