Leguminosae

Acacia longifolia

Acacia Shrubs or trees. Leaves bipinnate in the juvenile stage, sometimes replaced by simple phyllodes when adult; stipules minute. Flowers small, yellow, sessile, arranged in many-flowered, dense heads or in spikes. Calyx and corolla 4-5-merous, regular. Stamens numerous, free, conspicuous. Fruit usually dehiscent, dry or fleshy.   The following exotic species are cultivated near the coast in Turkey, for ornament or as hedge plants. A. dealbata is sold in the flower markets as 'mimosa'. 1. Plant villous or tomentose; leaves bipinnate  2. Shoots and young leaves whitish-tomentose; leaflets 3-4 mm wide; legume not or only slightly constricted A. dealbata Link  2. Shoots and young shoots yellowish-villous; leaflets c. 2 mm wide; legume distinctly constricted A. mearnsii de Wild 1. Plant glabrous; leaves phyllodic in the adult   3. Flowers arranged in axillary spikes A. longifolia Willd.   3. Flowers in capitula arranged in racemes    4. Capitula 10-15 mm diam.; legume distinctly contracted between the seeds A. cyanophylla Lindley    4. Capitula 4-6 mm diam.; legume not or only weakly constricted between the seeds A. retinoides Schlecht.