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Acacia stenophylla A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Shoe-string acacia, pencil leaf acacia

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderFabalesLegumes (pea and bean families)
FamilyFabaceaeLegume family (peas and beans)
GenusAcaciaThorny shrubs or trees
SpeciesstenophyllaMeans “narrow-leaved”

About plant names...

Shoestring acacia is an Australian native. They were introduced to the American southwest in the 1900s. They are arid climate trees that are drought tolerant, once established. The timber is used for furniture.

Plants: They may appear as rounded, multistemmed shrubs, or grow to trees 13-66′ (4-20 m) in height. They are evergreens, with grayish-brown to blackish bark.

Leaves: Leaves, or more properly, leaf stems called phyllodes appear as stringy straplike green things resembling stretched out beans, hence the common names “shoestring” and “pencil leaf” acacia. These “leaves” are 6-16″ (15-40 cm) long and 1/16-⅜″ (2-10 mm) wide. They are slightly rough in texture, with multiple parallel veins.

Flowers: racemes have three to five heads, with creamy-white to pale yellow flowers. Each flower is ball-shaped, ⅛-¼″ (6-9 mm) in diameter.

Fruits: Fruits are strings of leathery pods up to 10″ (26 cm) long, with elliptic seeds ¼-5/16″ (7-9 mm) long, like pale green beads. They become dark brown.

Online References:

Apps.cals.arizona.edu

Wikipedia

The Australian Native Plants Nursery

 

Acacia stenophylla description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 28 Aug 2021.

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Acacia stenophylla (shoe-string acacia, pencil leaf acacia)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land · ≈ 9 × 14″ (23 × 35 cm)

Acacia stenophylla (shoe-string acacia, pencil leaf acacia)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land · ≈ 12 × 17″ (29 × 44 cm)

Acacia stenophylla (shoe-string acacia, pencil leaf acacia)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Mary­land · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm)