Acacia (Acacia cyclops)

green shrub or thicket called acacia

Today we will talk about the acacia cyclops, a very interesting bush from Australia that has spread to various parts of the world, including Spain and other European regions and is that the world of plants is incredibly hugeEvery day we realize that there are thousands of specimens, and because they have different elements that are worth studying.

Let's see below the main characteristics of the acacia cyclops and the most important aspects of it. Let's go for it.

Features

elongated green leaves of a bush

It is a shrub that has the main characteristic of being invader, it usually grows in a rather messy way and affects its surroundings. It usually measures a maximum of 4 meters high and the stem is not appreciated due to the large foliage that it gives off on its sides. Its leaves are dark brown, first passing through greenish until they change color during growth.

It is a coastal plant and originates from South Australia, specifically in the south western area and very close to the leeman coast. In this sense, it can only grow in places that are very close to the sea, but nevertheless they have become naturalized in various parts of the world, where today we can find it in New York, parts of central Africa, etc.

They tend to grow in arid and sandy soils, for this reason is that the coast is their ideal habitat. We can find it on the edges of roads and highways and it is becoming a great concern, since it grows in a disorderly and invasive way and goes beyond the physical limits of its area.

Acacia cyclops uses

This bush and like the Acacia with three thorns It is mainly used as an ornamental garden around the world. If you want to stabilize the dunes, those huge mountains of sand, you also need the services of this interesting plant. It is said that their firewood is special, so in some countries it is very normal that we see people cutting it to enjoy this great advantage.

Experts have pointed out that the leaves are about stems and not real leaves, since they are flattened and widened, called petioles. Even so, there is no drawback, since they fulfill the same function as common sheets.

They are hairless and can grow up to 20 meters wide. They have several veins that are united unilaterally until they reach the main stem of the plant. Another characteristic of its leaves is that their tips are rounded but they change over time.

These tiny fruits are called pods and they can measure up to 15 cm long and is quite flattened. First they are born green, then they mature until they reach brown when they reach maturity. Its appearance is pretty and bright.

How do they reproduce?

green bush growing on a hillside

The interesting thing about this plant is that it reproduces through a plant that is expanded by many animals who are the ones that consume it directly. We are talking about birds, some rodents and ants.

Does it have any impact on the ecosystem? Unfortunately we must tell you that this species is considered a weed. However, this consideration is only outside the area of ​​origin, ie Australia.

This plant tends to spread very easily through coastal areas, so where there are water parks they enter its ecosystem very quickly and very difficult. stop and delete it. You have to go by boat to that place and prune them from the root, generating an interesting problem.

Some residential areas near the coast have actually been affected by its spread, so unfortunately when it expands to other territories it causes a lot of damage.

South Africa has also been seriously affected, as they mainly brought in this species to stabilize the sand dunes on the coast. However, several years later they have been counted more than 300.000 hectares of this plant throughout the region, becoming a national problem and the authorities have not yet found the key to solve it.


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