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1. Acacia auriculiformis
Botanical Name Acacia auriculiformisA. Cunn. ex Benth. (also spelled auriculaeformis).
Common Names northern black wattle, earpod wattle, Darwin black
wattle (Australia); akashmoni, Australia babul (India); kasia (Indonesia);
Papua wattle (Papua New Guinea).
Legume Family, Leguminosae (Mimosoideae
This hardy, drought-resistant Australian and Papuan tree can produce good
fuelwood
on poor soils. It is recognized by broad, lance-shaped leathery
phyllodes with several long, parallel veins; many tiny flowers in long, narrow
cylindrical clusters; and flattened pods twisted in an irregular coil or spiral
suggesting an ear. The specific name from Iatin, meaning with the shape of a
small ear, refers to the pods. This is a fuelwood species for the humid tropics.
Description Small to medium-sized deciduous or evergreen tree 8-20 m
high with usually 2 or more, often crooked, trunks up to 60 cm in diameter,
with dense crown, often with large low branches and poor form; on favorable
sites a large tree to 25-30 in. Bark gray or brown, smoothish, becoming rough
and fissured. Twigs slightly angled, mostly hairless.
Leaves alternate, simple flattened
phyllodes (modified leafstalks), lance-
shaped or oblong, slightly curved, long-pointed at both ends, 10-16 cm long,
mostly 1.5-2.5 cm wide, 4-9 times as long as broad, thick, leathery, hairless,
with several long parallel veins (3 prominent) from base, which has a gland,
and many crowded fine veins forming network.
Flower clusters (spikes) 5-8 cm long, paired at leaf bases, narrow. Flowers
many but not crowded, stalkless, tiny, 3 mm long; composed of cuplike,
5-toothed, hairless calyx 1 mm long; corolla of 5 narrow, pointed petals 2 mm
long; many threadlike stamens 3 mm long; and pistil with hairy ovary and
threadlike style.
Pods (legumes) 6-8 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, flattened, twisted in irregular
coil or spiral, outer edge often wavy, with prominent veins, hard. Seeds
several, beanlike, elliptical, flattened, 5 mm long, encircled by long threadlike
red or orange stalk.
Wood dark red with yellow sapwood, heavy (sp. gr. 0.6-0.75), very hard,
durable, high calorific value. Good firewood, excellent charcoal that glows
well and burns without smoke or sparks, pulpwood, suitable for construction
and furniture; tannin in bark.
Other Uses Widely grown for ornament and shade because of dense
foliage, hardiness in cities; erosion control on steep, unstable slopes and
beaches; suitable on poor sites for fuelwood and charcoal.
Natural Distribution
Papua New Guinea, islands of the Torres Straight,
and northern Australia in Queensland (Cape York Peninsula) and Northern
Territory (Arnhem Land). Altitude sea level to 500 m.
ACACIA AURICULIFORMIS
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