Acacia cambagei

Taxobox
name = "Acacia cambagei"


image_width = 250px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Mimosoideae
genus = "Acacia"
species = "A. cambagei"
binomial = "Acacia cambagei"

"Acacia cambagei", commonly known as Gidgee , Stinking wattle or Stinking gidgee is an endemic tree of Australia. It is found primarily in semi-arid and arid Queensland but extends into the Northern Territory, South Australia and north-western New South Wales. It can reach up to 12 meters in height and can form extensive open woodland communities [Anderson, E. R. (1993). Plants of Central Queensland. Brisbane, Queensland Government Press.] . The leaves, bark and litter of "A. cambagei" produce a characteristic odour, vaguely reminiscent of boiled cabbage, that accounts for the common name of "stinking gidgee".

Confined to regions between 550mm and 200mm annual rainfall [Weston, E. J. (1988). The Queensland Environment. Native pastures in Queensland their resources and management. W. H. Burrows, J. C. Scanlan and M. T. Rutherford. Brisbane, Queensland Government Press.] , "A. cambagei" is found primarily on flat and gently undulating terrain on heavy and relatively fertile clay and clay-loam soils in the eastern part of it range, and often forms mixed communities with brigalow which favours the same soil types. In drier regions gigee is found primarily on red earths and loams in wetter depression and low relief areas. Gidgee communities are floristically similar to brigalow communities. "Eucalyptus cambageana", "E. populnea", "Corymbia terminalis", "Eremophila mitchellii" and "Geijera parviflora" are typical woody species associated with gidgee communities. [Anderson, E. and P. Back (1990). Fire in brigalow lands. Fire in the management of northern Australian pastoral lands. T. C. Grice and S. M. Slatter. St. Lucia, Australia, Tropical Grassland Society of Australia.] .

Species associated with gidgee have a limited capacity to resprout following fire damage [Anderson, E. and P. Back (1990). Fire in brigalow lands. Fire in the management of northern Australian pastoral lands. T. C. Grice and S. M. Slatter. St. Lucia, Australia, Tropical Grassland Society of Australia.] [Johnson, R. W. and W. H. Burrows (1994). Acacia open forest, woodlands and shrublands. Australian Vegetation. R. H. Groves. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.] . Fire in any gidgee woodland would be a rare event under natural circumstances, since pasture is at best sparse in these communities, consisting of "Chloris", "Paspalidium", "Dicanthium", "Sporobolus" and "Eragrostis" species [Weston, E. J. (1988). Native Pasture Communities. Native pastures in Queensland their resources and management. W. H. Burrows, J. C. Scanlan and M. T. Rutherford. Brisbane, Department of Primary Industries.] .

References