# Myrtle Wattle

*Acacia myrtifolia*

The 'leaves' are actually phyllodes—flattened leaf stalks that evolved to reduce water loss in harsh climates.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fabales › Fabaceae › Acacia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Open forests, woodlands, and coastal heathlands, often in sandy or well-drained soils.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic; performs photosynthesis and fixes nitrogen via root nodules.
- **Range:** Australia (New South Wales), Australia (Victoria), Australia (South Australia), Australia (Western Australia), Australia (Tasmania)
- **Size:** 0.5 to 3 meters in height
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Land clearing, inappropriate fire regimes, and invasive weed competition.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. This plant is safe to observe closely. Avoid picking flowers to ensure seed production and respect local regulations in protected areas.

## About

Acacia myrtifolia , known colloquially as myrtle wattle or red-stemmed wattle , is a species of Acacia native to Australia. Its specific epithet 'myrtle-leaved' is derived from the Latin myrtus 'myrtle', and folium 'leaf'. It is a small shrub 0.3–3 m (0.98–9.84 ft) in height, and 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) spread. It has distinctive red branches and lanceolate green phyllodes, 2–9 cm (1-3½ in) in length and 0.5–3 cm wide. Its flowers are creamy white or pale yellow and appear in winter and spring....

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/99c7f49f-df3f-4a3c-ba12-9e39c6c28b03
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/321064
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia myrtifolia
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/75313366/medium.jpeg (guymer, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.