46 NATIVE FLOWERS OF VICTORIA. 
the foliage, and it flowers densely in early spring. 
Acacia decurrens, the Black Wattle, has paler flowers 
and blossoms in summer. There is a variety of 
Acacia decurrens called normalis, or the Sydney 
Green Wattle, which is indeed very beautiful — ^the 
delicate fern-like foliage, the dense panicles of fluffy 
golden flowers, so crowded as to hide the ball-shape 
of each individual head, the strong upright and yet 
shapely growth, all combine to produce one of the 
most handsome of Wattle trees. This variety is not 
a native of Victoria, but it has been planted in various 
country localities for its bark, and it is now naturally 
reproducing itself by means of the fallen seeds. 
Acacia discolor, the Sunshine Wattle of East 
Gippsland, has pinnate foliage, the leaves being very 
large and the flower-heads large and scattered; and 
Acacia Mitchelli, from the Grampians, is a low grow- 
ing shrub with small pinnate leaves. 
Of the Wattles producing the flowers in long cylin- 
drical spikes, instead of in globular heads, the two 
most popular are Acacia linearis and Acacia longi- 
folia. There are several others, notably Acacia 
Howitti, Acacia alpina, and Acacia Dallachiana — all 
worthy of a place in gardens. 
Acacia linearis is very free-flowering and has pale- 
coloured flowers. 
Acacia longifolia is very popular; it has several 
varieties, and these vary in phyllode structure con- 
siderably. Variety mucronata, from the Grampians, 
has very narrow foliage; variety Sophorae, the sea- 
coast form, has broad foliage, large flower spikes, and 
is of a low-spreading habit; and variety floribunda 
has broad phyllodes and large and abundant flowers. 
