1 
^3- 
? 
ACACIA GRANDIS. 
ACACIA GEANDIS. 
Nat. Order. — Leouminos^: \ Mimose^. 
177 P 
alternate, twice equally-pinnate, or with the leaflets abortive 
and the petiole dilated into a phyllodc resembling a simple leaf ; 
flowers densely spiked or capitate, white, rosy or very frequently 
yellow.— {Eixdliclier Gen. Plant., 6834.) 
Series 3. Polcheixe-e.— Unarmed or with axillary spines ; 
leaves bipinnate ; capitules or spines axillary ; peduncles soli- 
tary from each bud, often several in one axil. 
Acacia grandis. — Grand Acacia. — Shoots hirsute with 
spreading hairs ; leaves of two pinnce, each bearing eight to 
ten pairs of leaflets ; peduncles one or two in an axil, about an 
inch long, bearing yellow globular heads of flowers. 
Syn. — A, grandis, Hort. 
Generic Character. — Acacia, Necker. — Flowers polygam- 
ous, perfect and staminate. Calyx turbinate, urceolate or bell- 
shaped, four or five toothed. Corolla hypogynous, funnel- 
shaped or turbinate or tubular, bell-shaped ; limb four or five 
toothed, the lobes equal, valvate in aestivation. Stamens ten 
or more, inserted on the base of the corolla or the stalk of the 
ovary, exserted; filaments hair -like, free or monadelphons at 
the very base ; anthers two-celled, bursting; longitudinally. 
Ovary sessile or stalked ; style thread-like ; stigma simple or 
funnel-shaped, capitate. Pod continuous, dry, two-valvcd. 
Seeds numerous, ovate-oblong. Embryo exalbuminous. — Trees 
or more rarely shrubs, unarmed, or very frequently spiny with 
thorn-like stipules, growing in tropical and sub-tropical regions 
all over the world, most abundantly in New Holland ; leaves 
BESCKIPTION. — A shrub of a moderate size, flowering freely while small. Stems angular, 
a little zig-zagged, grooved, hirsute with long spreading dusky white hairs. Leaves alter- 
nate, with two pinna?, and an intermediate short thread-like prolongation of the petiole, termi- 
nating in a little globular head ; stipules between spiny and bristle-like, brown, one on each side 
of the base of the leaf and a third between the bases of the pinna?, beneath the prolonged petiole. 
Pinna? about one inch long, bearing on each side eight to ten linear-oblong obtuse alternate 
leaflets, with oblique bases, the rachis flattened, hirsute, and terminating in a small foliaceous 
point ; leaflets glabrous, pale green. In the axils of the leaves arc found, first, a minute gland- 
like body, which is apparently an abortive inflorescence bud ; either one or two small cup-like 
involucres, out of which arise flower-stalks ; and, finally, an articulated woody spine nearly half 
an inch long. The peduncles are about three quarters to one inch long, glabrous, and bearing 
globular heads of yellow flowers. Flowers very numerous ; calyx funnel-shaped, tubular, five- 
toothed ; petals five, equal, yellow ; stamens yellow, indefinite. — A. H. 
History, &c. — A very showy greenhouse shrub, native, we presume, of New Holland. "We 
have, however, no information as to its introduction. Our figure was made in the nursery of 
Messrs. Henderson, Pine Apple Place, in the spring of the present year ; and small plants were 
exhibited, by Mr. Henderson of St. John's Wood, at one of the exhibitions of the lloyal Botanic 
Society, in 1850. Its large and profuse golden capitules make it one of the most strikingly 
handsome of this showy family. — M. 
Culture. — Among the gay plants of winter and spring, this tribe of New Holland shrubs is 
entitled to take a high rank, for though the flowers may be much alike in colour, they differ very 
considerably in form and character, while the plants are not only diversified, but some of them 
are remarkably elegant in foliage. The soft pinnate foliage, and golden plumes of A. pubescent, 
is very elegant; while the noble foliage of A. lophantha, as seen upon a young vigorous plant, is 
exquisitely beautiful. Akin to the former of these in point of neat appearance is A. grandis, a plant 
which is likely to become of general interest, and is found to lie of easy culture. The Acacia is 
propagated by cuttings of the half-ripened wood, and also by seed, which some of them produce in 
great abundance. The stronger growing kinds grow well in pure loam, but some of the weaker 
rooting species like a little leaf mould or peat, added to it, and also some gritty sand. Such a soil 
is suitable for the kind under notice, A. grandis; and in it, it will grow with great luxuriance. 
During the growing season the plants should be kept in a moist growing atmosphere, but when 
the growth is nearly completed, care must be taken Id ripen the wood by lull exposure I" the 
sun and air. This species flowers rather late in the season, and hence may prove useful fur the 
May exhibitions, when its colour will be found useful. Should the plants gr<>\\ wildly, they 
must lie curbed a little by timely stopping, so as to make them assume a neat and 1 1 mpaol form. 
Liquid manure will be found useful fur the plants when the puts me lull of runts ; and v. lien once 
established, it is surprising how long such plants keep in health and hlnuni in comparatively 
small pots. Indeed we have known plants stand for ten years in the same puts without shifting. 
and yet bloom annually in first rate style. — A. 
gl^w 
