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Fabaceae FAMILY

Acacia dictyophleba

Acacia dictyophleba

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The seed of many Acacia species, including this one, is edible and highly nutritious, and can be eaten safely as a fairly major part of the diet. Not all species are edible, however, and some can contain moderate levels of toxins[1]. Especially when harvesting from the wild, especial care should be taken to ensure correct identification of any plants harvested for food[PFAF]. Especially in times of drought, many Acacia species can concentrate high levels of the toxin Hydrogen cyanide in their foliage, making them dangerous for herbivores to eat.

Cultivation Details

HabitShrub
GrowthMedium

Acacia dictylophleba is a plant of the arid and semi-arid, subtropical to tropical zone of central Australia, where it is found at elevations up to metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 8 - 38°c[2]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth is more tender can be severely damaged at -1°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 200 - 400mm, but tolerates 100 - 500mm[2]. Requires a sunny position. Requires a well-drained soil, preferably of a medium to light texture[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7[2]. Established plants are drought toleranr[2]. Acacia dictyophleba is an attractive shrub with its large golden heads and its blue-grey foliage that is coated with a white bloom at certain times of the year. As such this species has potential as an ornamental for amenity planting in dry inland areas[3]. A moderately fast-growing tree[2]. The seeds of most acacia species can be quickly and efficiently harvested at full maturity without the need for any specialised equipment. Small seed-bearing branches can be cut and beaten on sheets, or bushes can be beaten or shaken directly onto large sheets[4]. The plant regenerates from seed after fire and also resprouts vigorously from the root stock[3]. Acacia dictyophleba is very closely related to Acacia melleodora and indeed, together with Acacia jensenii and Acacia sabulosa , these taxa could possibly be regarded as subspecies of a single variable species[3]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[5].

Propagation

The seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5 - 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands, then drying the seeds and winnowing them[4]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acacia+dictyophleba>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Acacia in Australia: Ethnobotany and Potential Food Crop — Lister P.R.; Holford P.; Haigh T.; Morrison D.A. · ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. · 1996 · https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-toc.html · ISBN 0-9615027-3-8 ↩︎
  2. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]Wattles of the Pilbara — http://worldwidewattle.com/speciesgallery/descriptions/pilbara/html/default.htm ↩︎A website with factsheets for the various Acacia species that grow in the Pilbara region of northwestern Western Australia
  4. [4]Potential of Australian Acacias in combating hunger in semi-arid lands — Rinaudo A.; Patel P.; Thomson L.A.J. · 2002 ↩︎
  5. [5]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
  6. [6]Flora of Australia — http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ ↩︎The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
  7. [7]The Useful Native Plants of Australia. — Maiden J.H. · Turner & Co.; London. · 1889 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  8. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎