26 WATTLES OR ACACIAS. 
bearing several or many glands. Racemes of flowerheads panicu- 
late, fragrant; 20-380 very small flowers in each head; bracts 
narrow, with a minute dilated terminal plate; calyx bluntly 
5-toothed, half or less than half as long as the corolla. Fruits 
strongly compressed, straight or sometimes arched, elongate- or 
linear-oblong, bivalved, waved or almost straight at the margin, 
3-5 inches long, 1-4 inch broad; seeds placed lengthwise, black, 
broad-oval, 3-4 inch long, laterally faintly impressed, held by an 
extremely short funicle, and supported by a pale channelled and 
pointed appendage (aril). 
Two varieties can be distinguished, usually by the colonists 
considered to be different species, namely, the Black Wattle (A. 
mollissima) and the Silver Wattle (A. dealbata), the former 
producing flowers in the commencement of summer, the latter 
early in spring, a circumstance dependent on localities, A. deal- 
bata occupying mostly river-banks and valleys, A. mollissima 
more the slopes of ridges or mountains. It adscends to subalpine 
elevations, ceasing at about 5,000 feet, enduring considerable 
frost. The bark of this Wattle assumes in age a blackish color 
outside, which accounts for the adjective name of the species; 
its variety received its name from the grey hue of the young 
foliage. 
This Acacia stands on scientific record since the end of the 
last century. Its geographic range stretches from the eastern 
districts of South Australia through Victoria and New South 
Wales to the southern borders of Queensland; it is besides com- 
mon in Tasmania, but extends not to New Zealand, in which 
island not a single tall tree identical with any of Australia does 
occur. 
The aged wood is of considerable hardness. On transverse 
section the concentric zones, the vascular pores and medullary 
rays become readily visible. The vascular tubes stand often in 
pairs or longitudinal groups; under a compound microscope 
these exhibit transparent or pale walls, which are very finely 
dotted and filled with yellowish resinous substance. Parenchyma 
(tissue of short and blunt cells) is scanty and surrounds mainly 
the vascular ducts. The very fine medullary rays consist each of 
