Acacia lauta

Acacia lauta, commonly known as Tara wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to north eastern Australia.

Description

The shrub typically grows to a height of and has a sprawling habit. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The evergreen, patent to reclined phyllodes have a length of and a width of with a midrib that is slightly raised and quite distinct. When it blooms it produces simple inflorescences supported on glabrous to sparsely hairy peduncles that are in length. The spherical flower-heads contain 25 to 30 bright golden flowers. Following flowering glabrous seed pods form with a length of and a width of containing longitudinally arranged seeds with a length of.
The shrub is closely related to and resembles Acacia johnsonii and is part of the Acacia johnsonii group.

Distribution

It is native to a small area of south eastern Queensland on the Darling Downs between Tara and Inglewood growing in sandy soils as a part of open woodland communities.

Conservation Status

It is listed vulnerable under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992.