Earpod Wattle

Acacia auriculiformis

Bengali: Akashmoni, sonajhuri

An evergreen thornless acacia from New Guinea & Northern Australia which does not have the characteristic twice feathered leaves. Instead, it has sickle-shaped modified phyllodes.

Bark:  Grey-brown, Smooth when young, rough, and fissured when old.

Leaves: (modified phyllode) sickle-shaped, bright green, leathery, up to 8’’ long

Flower: Minute, bright yellow, grows in small spikes, has fragrance

Fruit: Coiled pods, initially pale green, turns brown when mature

Season: Though it flowers for longer period, the biggest flowering flush is in Sep-Oct and pods ripe around Feb-Mar

Distribution: Natural stands of A. auriculiformis are found in Northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. Introduced in India (and other tropica countries) not long back.

Trivia and notes: There are another close relative of A. auriculiformis found in Rabindra Sarovar represented by a single sub-adult tree it is called hickory wattle. That has wider “leaves” and white flower.

Where to find: There are many mature trees in Rabindra sarovar. The one on the north side of the main lake, not far from Buddha Temple gate is labelled (22.51101N, 88.36419E)