| A. bakeri and A.
melanoxylon. The acacia is characteristic of the arid and semi-arid
climatic regions and is common in much of the sub-humid region. There are
fewer representatives in the humid region and the acacia is rarely
represented in tropical rainforest and in grassland.
Acacias are commonly known as wattles. This name
originates from early English where it denoted "interlaced rods and
twigs as material of fences, walls and roofs (plastered with mud and clay)".
It was adopted by early Australian settlers because of the similarity of
the twigs and branchlets of coastal species to those of plants used in
England for 'wattle' construction. The name wattle is often incorporated
in the common names of the species, e.g. black, green or silver wattle,
while for many inland species euphonious Aboriginal names have been
retained: brigalow, cooba gidgee, mulga, myall and yarran.
Many acacia species are amongst the most
spectacular flowering plants of Australia. Individual flowering specimens
are conspicuous in the landscape and are often covered in a mass of yellow
blossom for several weeks. The flowers occur in heads 0.5-1 cm in diameter
or in spikes up to 10 cm or more in length, with yellow colours
predominating, although varying from almost white to deep orange-yellow;
one species, A. purpureapetala, has purple flowers. One of the
best-known species is Cootamundra wattle (A.
baileyana), which is extensively planted as an ornamental. Among
the many other colourful flowering species are A. pycnantha, A.
spectabilis and A.
elata. Wattle is a national emblem in Australia and Wattle Day
became an established spring-time anniversary in many States, though now
less rigorously observed. The wattle motif is prominent in the Australian
Coat of Arms and in all levels of the honours award of Order of Australia
which was initiated in 1976.
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