31 



The flowers of Aoacia, from their small size and the 

 habit in most species of being massed together in heads, 

 renders them somewhat difficult to examine, and impossible 

 without a lens. Each of the fluffy spheres we see consists 

 of many flowers. We can detect this better before they 

 have opened. The calyx is minute, and consists of four 

 or five free or slightly united sepals. The corolla is scarcely 

 larger; the petals are the same number, all equal and 

 seldom united. The stamens are very numerous. Their 

 filaments are very long, slender, and free, tipped with 

 minute anthers. The solitary carpwl, shaped just as it is 

 in Peaflowers, is very small, yet contains several ovules. 

 It is prolonged into a very slender style, which is much 

 longer than the stamens, and appears as a delicate bristle 

 protruding amongst them ; it is tipped by a minute stigma. 

 The fruit is a legume, that is, a pea-pod, which varies in 

 shape according to the species. 



Acacias generally bear abundant flowers, but few of 

 them produce fruit. The copius formation of pollen and its 

 close contiguity to the stigma must ensure some of it 

 being received in every flower. This would lead to the 

 supposition that crossing is imperative. A considerable 

 amount of honey is formed , and bees much frequent them ; 

 probably, also, small birds assist. 



The seeds are of the shape of small flat beans. Their 

 coat is dense and almost impervious to water. This enables 

 them to retain their vitality for a long period. But no 

 credence must t>e given to the statements often made that 

 seeds may retain their vitality for many centuries. This 

 matter has been well thrashed out, and it is fairly certain 

 that very few, if any, can retain the power of germination 

 up to one hundred years. This will be further considered 

 in another chapter. 



Of our seventeen Acacias, most are commonly to be met 

 in the bush. The three with divided leaves have a very 

 similar floral arrangement, namely, in little spheres each 

 made up of many flowers, and the spheres are numerous 

 on much-branched stalks which arise from the axils of the 

 leaves. 



In the broad-leaved forms we have four modifications. 

 In the pretty little Myrtle-leaved Acacia, which is usually 

 only 1 or 2 feet high, the flowers are rather larger than 

 is the case with our other forms, and are placed singly or 

 few together on the branched flower-stalks. This plant is 

 therefore useful to the beginner who wishes to examine 

 these flowers. In Native Willow and a closely allied form 



