Acacia de agujetas

Acacia stenophylla varies in characteristic and size from a rounded, multi-stemmed shrub to a spreading tree. A. stenophylla grows from 4–20 m (13–66 ft) tall, often stemming into branches at the trunk from about 1 m (3.3 ft). Bark is dark-grey to blackish and rough, branchlets are smooth to sericeous and sometimes angular. The phyllodes are strap-like, 15–40 cm (5.9–15.7 in) long, 2–10 mm (0.08–0.4 in) wide, straight to slightly curved, slightly rough, free from hair or very finely puberulous, acute to acuminate, apex is often strongly curved. Veins are copious and closely parallel. The racemes are 3– to 5-headed, with stems 2–15 mm (0.08–0.6 in) long, which are slightly rough or with appressed minute hairs. The peduncles are 6–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long. The flower heads are creamy-white to pale yellow in colour, spherical and 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) in diameter. Flowers are pentamerous, with sepals three-quarters united. The pods are moniliform, up to 26 cm (10 in) long, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide, woody-leathery textured, smooth except micro-puberulous between seeds. The seeds are longitudinal, elliptic, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, dark brown, lacking an aril, funicle enlarged, are folded at the seed apex. Flowering time is often irregular, although mainly occurring in autumn. A. stenophylla is highly salt tolerant and moderately frost and drought tolerant. …

Acacia stenophylla is predominantly distributed in central and eastern Australia. A. stenophylla is found from the Murray River in South Australia and Victoria through western New South Wales, Northern Territory, and Queensland, with a small population also occurring in Western Australia. It mainly occurs from latitude 23° to 33° S with a range from 17° to 36°S. In altitude, it mainly occurs between 50 and 325 m ASL with a range from near sea level to 625 m.

Acacia stenophylla normally flowers from March to August, although it can flower irregularly throughout the year. Seed pods turn woody as they mature from October to December and produce approximately 6–12 viable seeds/g. A. stenophylla seeds germinate prolifically. After major floods, seedlings can often be present along the flood-line, but only a very small proportion of these persist.

Acacia stenophylla is rarely utilised by cattle, but it is palatable to sheep. Seeds and pods of A. stenophylla were roasted and used by Indigenous Australians as a food source. The plant is said to contain medicinal alkaloids. A. stenophylla is widely planted as a drought tolerant and decumbent ornamental tree. It is cultivated by plant nurseries, and used in modernist gardens and in public landscapes in the Southwestern United States and California.

The specific epithet is derived from the Greek stenos (narrow) and phyllon (leaf), meaning 'with narrow leaves'.