Kingdom Plantae Family Fabaceae Scientific name Acacia rigens | Order Fabales Genus Acacia Rank Species | |
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Similar Acacia triptera, Acacia flexifolia, Mallee Wattle, Acacia lineata, Acacia prominens | ||
Acacia rigens, commonly known as nealie, is an erect or spreading shrub or small tree that is endemic to Australia. Other common names include needle wattle, needlebush acacia, nealia and nilyah.
Plants grows to between 1 and 6 metres high and have rigid, terete phyllodes that are between 3 and 13 cm long. The bright yellow flowerheads appear in groups of up to four in the axils of the phyllodes. These appear between July and December in the species' native range, followed by curled, twisted or coiled seed pods which are 4 to 10 cm long and 2 to 3 mm wide.
The species occurs on red earth, sandy or shaly soils in mallee and woodland in southern Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
The larvae of the double-spotted lineblue butterfly feed on this species.
The species was first formally described in 1832 by botanist Allan Cunningham.
Cultivation
The species is fast-growing and is both frost and drought tolerant, rarely requiring watering after establishment. It is adaptable to most soils and is best suited to a position in full sun or light shade.
