Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Fabales Bromhead
Family
Leguminosae
Genus
Acacia Mill.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. in Aiton, Hortus Kew. (W.T. Aiton), ed. 2., 5, 462 (1813)
Synonymy:
  • ≡ Racosperma melanoxylon (R.Br.) Mart. (1835)
Vernacular Name(s):
Blackwood; Tasmanian blackwood
 Description

Shrub or tree; twigs ribbed, glabrous to densely hairy. Lvs reduced to phyllodes, alternate; phyllodes glabrous, narrowly obovate, elliptic and symmetric or falcate, usually obtuse, sometimes shortly mucronate, entire, (40)–60–100 × 8–20 mm, with 3–4 prominent veins; stipules triangular, 1–2 mm long, conspicuous in young plants only. Infl. of few to numerous, many-flowered, pale creamy yellow, globose heads; heads solitary or in axillary racemes usually > lvs. Fls 5-merous, sessile. Pod glabrous, twisted or spiralled, 8–10 cm long (up to 4 cm diam.), 5–8 mm wide; aril pink to crimson or red, encircling seed.

[From: Webb et al. (1985) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4 as Racosperma melanoxylon (R.Br.) Mart.]

 Biostatus
Exotic
 Bibliography
Aiton, W.T. 1813: Hortus Kewensis; or, a Catalogue of the Plants Cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. 2nd edition. Vol. 5. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London.
Edwards, R. 2008: Lincoln University campus – a guide to some of the trees currently growing there. Lincoln University, Lincoln.
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand