Acacia aphylla

Leafless rock wattle

A. aphylla produces yellow spherical flowers between August and October (late winter to mid spring) in its native range
The inflorescences have a simple structure with one per axil
The peduncles are 7 to 10 millimetres long and glabrous with globular heads
They hold 20–30 flowers that are a bright light golden colour
The flowers are 5-merous with free sepals

Fruit:

Seed-pods form later that are linear, 3 to 9 cm long and 3 to 4 mm wide containing black seeds that are longitudinal and oblong and about 4 mm long
Pods are mature from December to March
Plants are mostly killed by fire but populations will regenerate from the soil seed bank

Leaves:

Unlike most Acacia the phyllodes are absent
The thickened blue-green wiry stems have the ability to photosynthesize like leaves
This evolutionary adaptation greatly reduces the total surface area for water loss through transpiration

Stem & branches:

Roots:

Habit:

A spiny and leafless erect and widely branching shrub that grows to 0.9 to 3 m in height and with a width of approximately 2 m

Habitat:

It is commonly found in open forest communities that are dominated by Eucalyptus marginata and Eucalyptus calophylla, or in woodlands where Eucalyptus loxophleba dominates
Species commonly found in the understorey include Grevillea endlicheriana, Hakea petiolaris, and Xanthorrhoea preissii
It is generally associated with areas of laterite and granite outcrops on hillsides, and will grow in rock crevices
It is mostly found to grow in soils that are sandy, loam, clay, or gravel and brown or yellow in colour

Distribution:

Endemic to an area around Perth
The shrub has a restricted range and is only found in two areas in the Darling Range about 60 kilometres apart from each other
The areas are both to the east of Perth with one population being found in Hidden Valley area in the Helena River and the other south of Northam in the Clackline Nature Reserve
The shrub has a restricted range and is only found in two areas in the Darling Range about 60 kilometres apart from each other
The areas are both to the east of Perth with one population being found in Hidden Valley area in the Helena River and the other south of Northam in the Clackline Nature Reserve
The exact placement of each population is being withheld by the state government for conservation reasons

Additional notes:

Cultivation
- A. aphylla is cultivated as a foliage plant, although it is actually succulent and is adapted to harsh conditions
- It grows fast, requires well-drained soils and will tolerate full sun
- It can be pruned following flowering and pruning can be harsh, back to approximately 30 cm from the ground
- Regrowth will take place in the next couple of months
- It is both drought and frost tolerant and can be grown from seed
- It produces an abundance of seed during summer which stores well and remains viable for many years
- It regenerates poorly in habitat and often there are few or no seedlings to be found
- When cultivated, the hard black seeds need to be soaked for 24 hours, with initially boiled hot water, to soften the coating, which usually gives a consistent and early germination of seeds
History
The species was first described the species in the journal Nuytsia by the botanist Bruce Maslin in 1974
It was recorded as rare in 1950 and after 1992 it was listed as vulnerable then became protected under the Endangered species Protection Act 1992

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