Fabaceae FAMILY

Acacia penninervis

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The bark (and, according to some, the leaves) of this tree was formerly used by the aboriginals of southern New South Wales for catching fish. They would throw them into a waterhole, when the fish would rise to the top and be easily caught. Neither the leaves nor bark contain strictly poisonous substances, but, like the other species of Acacia, they would be deleterious, owing to their astringency[ 601 Title The Useful Native Plants of Australia. Publication Author Maiden J.H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Turner & Co.; London. Year 1889 ISBN Description 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. ]. 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.

Botanical Description

Acacia penninervis is an erect to spreading shrub or a small tree that can grow up to 8 metres tall, but is usually smaller[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. , 365 Title Flora of New South Wales Publication Author Website http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants. ]. Although it produces true leaves as a seedling, llike most members of this section of the genus, the mature plant does not have true leaves but has leaf-like flattened stems called phyllodes[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeAustralia - Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland

HabitatUnderstorey of open eucalypt forest[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. Moist and dry sclerophyll forest and woodland[ 365 Title Flora of New South Wales Publication Author Website http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants. ].