Acacia melanoxylon
Fabaceae
Very common
The adaptable and hardy Blackwood is the most common rainforest tree around Robertson, colonising disturbed soil in open spaces and along roadsides.
The phyllodes (leaf-like modified stems) are 6‒15 cm long, have three distinct veins and are slightly curved with blunt tips. The early pinnate leaves disappear as the leaf stalk flattens and expands producing phyllodes that soon replace the leaves.
This fast-growing, well-shaped tree has a thick crown and flowers in early spring. The pale yellow flowers occur in 3‒5 fluffy balls on short stems. The dry, brown pod is twisted and opens mid to late summer to reveal shiny black seeds, surrounded by an orange attaching thread (aril).
DISTRIBUTION:
Tasmania to North Queensland, also in South Australia.
