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Spearwood

Acacia doratoxylon

Also called Lancewood, Currawang, Brown Lancewood

Spearwood
Photo: Stitchingbushwalker, CC BY-SA 4.0
Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Native range
New South Wales to N. Victoiria
Climate
subtropical

About

Acacia doratoxylon, commonly known as currawang, lancewood, spearwood coast myall, or other names is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to continental south-eastern Australia. It is a singled-stemmed shrub or tree with corrugated bark, linear phyllodes, spikes of golden yellow flowers and linear, wrinkled, more or less leathery pods.

Where it grows

Currawang is endemic to central parts of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. It is fairly common on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range and plains of New South Wales and its range extends through the southern tablelands through the Australian Capital Territory and across Ovens Range in Victoria. In New South Wales it is found as far east as Wollemi spreading as far west as the Ivanhoe District and as far north as Brewarrina. It is found on rocky ridges where it is associated with Eucalyptus and Callitris woodland communities and on red sandy plains where it is often part of mallee communities. In Victoria it is considered rare and has a small disjunct distribution in the East Gippsland Uplands and the northern inland slopes in the Barambogie Range close to Beechworth and around Suggan Buggan where it grows on rocky well-drained hillsides and ridges.

Uses

A. doratoxylon can be used for land rehabilitation and can grow quickly in rocky soils that are prone to erosion and on recharge areas. It is also nitrogen fixing which will increase soil fertility and makes a suitable habitat for native species. It produces pollen prolifically which is a good food source for native moths, butterflies and insects, attracting insectivorous birds. Other birds including native pigeons and parrots consume the seeds. The timber is a good fuel and produces a hot fire. The dark brown wood is dense and very hard and heavy and used to manufacture for furniture. Indigenous Australians used it to make spears. The foliage is used as fodder for stock during times of drought.

Other Acacia plants

Acacia abbatiana · Acacia abbreviata · Acacia abrupta · Acacia acanthaster · Harrow Wattle · Acacia acellerata · Gold-dust acacia · Acacia aciphylla · Acacia acoma · Acacia acradenia · Strap Leaved Wattle · Acacia acuaria

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acacia doratoxylon by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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