An Unexpected Find: Acacia sp. Yinnetharra
The discovery of this localised endemic tree species was a welcome surprise for the Australian Seed Bank Partnership on a field trip in Western Australia
By Australian Seed Bank Partnership
WA Seed Centre, Kings Park and Botanic Gardens
Field trip find
When searching for ornamental Acacia trees near the Gascoyne River in Western Australia, seed collectors Luke Sweedman and Grady Brand stumbled upon an undescribed wattle.
Acacia sp. Yinnetharra branches with inflorescence by David BlumerAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Flowers
Luke and Grady collected flowers from the undescribed wattle trees and returned two months later to collect seed.
Rare discovery
The species has not been found anywhere else, making it a very rare, localised endemic known only from this population near the Gascoyne River. They described their find to Bruce Maslin, one of Western Australia’s Acacia experts.
Puff ball
The new wattle grew as 10-metre-tall trees with smooth grey trunks and weeping branches. The flowers had that typical wattle puff ball appearance as the yellow stamens poked out in all directions.
Stripy seed pods
The seed pods were striped which is unusual when compared to the Mulga Wattle (Acacia aneura) that is widespread over much of mainland Australia. Bruce expressed his surprise to Luke and Grady that a new wattle species had been found, now described as Acacia sp. Yinnetharra.
Seed banks
Following this chance encounter seeds were collected for the Western Australian Seed Centre at Kings Park and Botanic Garden with part of the collection also duplicated at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK.
Acacia sp. Yinnetharra full tree 3 by David BlumerAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Some of those original seeds from 2011 were also grown on to become a stunning addition to the Acacia Garden. So if you find yourself in Western Australia why not check out Acacia sp. Yinnetharra in the living collection at Kings Park?
A national emblem
There are almost 1,000 different species of wattles in Australia from the Acacia genus. They grow in diverse habitats from the coast, through alpine areas to arid inland regions. One Acacia species, the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), is the national floral emblem of Australia.
Acacia inophloia by Andrew CrawfordAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Spring celebration
Australian’s love our wattles so much we even have a national wattle day which we celebrate on 1 September every year. This is the first day of spring in Australia and around the time most wattle species are flowering.
Learn more
To learn more about the Western Australia Seed Centre (Kings Park) you can visit their website.
Stories compiled through a science communication internship at the Australian Seed Bank Partnership with Master of Science Communication student Christine Fernance from the ANU Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.
Interested in Natural history?
Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.