Difference between revisions of "Thrips and Australian Acacia species"
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In Australia, the plant genus ''Acacia'' includes about 1000 species of shrubs and trees <http://www.worldwidewattle.com/>. | In Australia, the plant genus ''Acacia'' includes about 1000 species of shrubs and trees <http://www.worldwidewattle.com/>. | ||
| − | In most of these, the leaf-like foliage of mature plants is actually modified leaf petioles, termed phyllodes, and the normal bipinnate leaves are progressively lost. | + | In most of these, the leaf-like foliage of mature plants is actually modified leaf petioles, termed phyllodes, and the normal bipinnate leaves are progressively lost. Thus, among phyllodinous ''Acacia'' species, bi-pinnate foliage occurs only on very young plants. |
[[File:Acacia melanoxylon developing phyllodes.jpg|thumbnail|center|Acacia melanoxylon young plant with phyllodes replacing bipinnate leaves]] | [[File:Acacia melanoxylon developing phyllodes.jpg|thumbnail|center|Acacia melanoxylon young plant with phyllodes replacing bipinnate leaves]] | ||
| − | + | These phyllode-bearing species are classified into three major Sections of the genus ''Acacia'': Phyllodineae with almost 400 species, Juliflorae with about 255 species, and Plurinerves with about 215 species (Maslin, 2001). | |
Revision as of 22:32, 30 January 2014
Laurence Mound, CSIRO Ecosystems Sciences, Canberra
Introduction
In Australia, the plant genus Acacia includes about 1000 species of shrubs and trees <http://www.worldwidewattle.com/>.
In most of these, the leaf-like foliage of mature plants is actually modified leaf petioles, termed phyllodes, and the normal bipinnate leaves are progressively lost. Thus, among phyllodinous Acacia species, bi-pinnate foliage occurs only on very young plants.
File:Acacia melanoxylon developing phyllodes.jpg
Acacia melanoxylon young plant with phyllodes replacing bipinnate leaves
These phyllode-bearing species are classified into three major Sections of the genus Acacia: Phyllodineae with almost 400 species, Juliflorae with about 255 species, and Plurinerves with about 215 species (Maslin, 2001).
