Ads
related to: where do wattle seeds grow in texas chart of prices
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Wattleseed Acacia are perennial woody crops of varying age and size with some reaching 4m tall and 5m across. [4] Their large size and multiple stems is an impediment to harvesting and has resulted in the development of several strategies of collecting seed pods, including 'finger stripping' of pods off of foliage, 'butt shaking' of the tree to dislodge pods, and whole biomass harvesting. [6]
The shrub is sold commercially in tubestock or in seed form. It is noted as a good pioneer species [ 1 ] being fast-growing, hardy, cold tolerant and beneficial as a nitrogen fixing plant. It can grow nutrient-poor, shallow, skeletal, high altitude soils and plays a valuable role in catchment protection within its native range. [ 4 ]
Sandplain wattle grows as a tall shrub or small tree typically to a height of 2 to 5 m (6 ft 7 in to 16 ft 5 in) but can grow as tall as 8 m (26 ft). [4] It is able to form suckers and form dense colonies. It has glabrous branchlets that are often covered in a fine white powdery coating giving it frosted appearance. [3]
After flowering it forms linear, curved or coiled seed pods with a length of around 12 cm (4.7 in) and a width of 0.3 cm (0.12 in). The shiny dark brown to black seeds within the pods are arranged longitudinally and have a length of around 4 mm (0.16 in) [ 2 ] with a large yellow-orange aril.
The tree's seeds number about 65 per gram. [7] A. maidenii can be propagated from seed but, in order to increase the germination rate, the seed should be treated first. It can be soaked in hot water or the seed can be nicked or otherwise mechanically scarified, so that water will penetrate the seed's hard coating and induce germination.
After flowering linear brown seed pods form that are up 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and 5 to 17 mm (0.20 to 0.67 in) wide with a firm papery texture. The dull to slightly shiny dark brown to black seeds within the pods have an oblong to oblong-elliptic shape and a length of 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in).