Acacia melanoxylon
(blackwood acacia)

Fabaceae


Description:
Trees 2-8 m tall. Mature leaves apparently simple, lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, young leaves of seedlings (sometimes young branches) twice pinnately compound, glabrous. Flowers in capitate spikes, spikes 2-8, in racemose clusters. Calyx rotate, ca. 1 mm long; corolla lobes ca. 1 mm long, white to yellowish; stamens yellow. Fruit 5-10 cm long, less than 1 cm wide, curved, flat.  Flowers Apr.
 

Distribution:
Santa Cruz Island, Santa Catalina Island and from San Francisco Bay region to Baja CA; native of Australia.

Santa Cruz Island

Scarce; canyon bottoms, rocky slopes, exposed ridgetops; chaparral, riparian communities; 150-1200 ft (45-365 m).

1995(1)
North side in Cañada del Puerto and at Campo del Norte; Central Valley in Islay Canyon and near Stanton Ranch; south side on South Ridge near Willows Canyon.

2003 - 2005(2)
North side at Prisoners' Harbor at beginning of Navy Road.  South side on South Ridge near Laguna Canyon.

2006(3)
South side on South Ridge near Coches Prietos Road.

 

Photos
Click on a picture for a larger image

Full-sized Acacia melanoxylon trees in the Central Valley west of the Main Ranch. Close-up of leaves and fruit of Acacia melanoxylon


 

Acacia melanoxylon sapling.

 

(1) Provided by "A Flora of Santa Cruz Island" Steve Junak et al. Copyright Santa Barbara Botanic Garden & California Native Plant Society 1995.
(2) Provided by Channel Islands Restoration
(3) Provided by USGS Channel Islands Field Station

Plant descriptions from "A Flora of Santa Cruz Island" Steve Junak et al. Copyright Santa Barbara Botanic Garden & California Native Plant Society 1995.  Used with permission.  Do not use or reproduce without permission.

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Last modified: 12/20/2007