Wattle Day

The brilliant display pf flowers along the Murrumbidgee last week, together with the much warmer weather, was a clear indicator that Spring is heading this way.  According to the official definition it arrives today.

In Australia this is designated Wattle Day so here are some images of the various Wattles I have seen around our property in the last few days.

Acacia dealbata
 Acacia buxifolia
 A. buxifolia again: this shows the box-like leaves
 Acacia rubida
 Acacia mearnsii (one of the few buds to have 'burst').
A few (warm) days later and the A. mearnsii was really hitting its straps.
 Acacia boormanii
 A wider shot of A. boormanii.
This is an escapee species, with its natural distribution showing the correctness of its vernacular name "Snowy River wattle".
As we approach Wattle Day an Acacia decurrens, which appeared to be mixed in with a direct seeding growth, has started to flower.
 This is a close up of an axil, showing how the petiole merges with the stem: this is what I take as definitive for A. decurrens.
 The folk for botanical purity get a trifle emotional about A. decurrens around here claiming that it is a foreigner.  Looking at an ALA distribution map I think that is slicing matters very finely!

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