Torulosa Wattle, Deep-gold wattle
Acacia torulosa
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. Also as Mimosaceae.
Where it is found
A native plant of northern Australia. It prefers light well drained deep soils. Often this is on sandstone soils on slopes or near creeks. It grows best in open sunny positions. It may be damaged by drought and frost. It needs extra watering to maintain a good leaf cover. It cannot tolerate wet and poorly drained soils.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
The gum is eaten. The seeds when black and mature are crushed into flour and made into flat cakes for cooking. The young green fruit and seeds may be eaten raw.
Edible parts
Gum, seeds, pods
How it is grown
It is grown from seed. The seed need treatment to break the hard seed coat. Normally this is by putting the seeds in very hot water and letting the water cool down overnight then planting the seeds immediately. Seed is produced in large amounts and seeds germinate quickly after treatment. Flowering is May to July and seed are available August to October. Plants do not transplant easily.
It is very fast growing. The tree lives for 10-12 years.
Its other names
Local names
Thancoupie