Phil Bendle Collection:Paraserianthes lophantha (Brush Wattle)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabalesae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Genus: Paraserianthes
Species: P. lophantha
Binomial name: Paraserianthes lophantha
Common name: Brush wattle, Albizia, Cape Leeuwin Wattle, Cape Wattle, Crested Wattle, Plume albizia, Acacia lophantha, Albizia lophantha

Paraserianthes lophantha is a fast-growing, short-lived, evergreen tree originally from West Australia. It will grow up to 10 m tall and establishes quickly and displaces native plants. It will invade banks, coastal areas, shrubland, wasteland, roadsides, disturbed forest, riverbanks, gumland and short tussockland
The leaves are frond-like and are up to 30 cm long. They are twice divided along the midribs with 8-15 pairs of main subdivisions and 20-40 pairs of linear leaflets which are silky underneath.
During May to August, it develops >10 cm long, greenish-yellow bottlebrush-like flowers. The flowers are arranged in elongated clusters (4-8 cm long) borne singly or in pairs in the upper leaf forks.
After flowering elongated and flattened, seedpods that are up to 15cm long appear. They are first green but turn a brown or reddish-brown when mature. Each tree can produce large quantities of black, long-lived, foul-smelling seeds.

[http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0007/9033/Paraserianthes_lophantha__Bush_Wattle_.JPG
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Dried seed pods

The underside of the leaves.

The distinctive branches.

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

 

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