Meliaceae, Melianthaceae & Mimosaceae

DICOTYLEDONS

MELIACEAE - Mahogany Family

A family of about 550 species of trees and shrubs, including important tropical timber trees, with 10 species native to Western Australia. Melia azedarach (cape lilac, white cedar) is native to the Kimberley, but in the south of the State it is naturalised and is spreading in wasteland around Perth and other settlements. It is a deciduous tree to 15m tall, with pinnate leaves, each up to 75cm long, composed of many leaflets 2-5cm long. It produces loose sprays of fragrant lilac flowers in spring, then many hard yellow berries, 1-2cm long. Widely grown as an ornamental tree. Native from Iran to northern Australia.

Melia azedarach , PH

MELIANTHACEAE - Honeyflower Family

A small family of 18 species of African shrubs and small trees with deeply divided leaves. One naturalised in Western Australia. Melianthus major (honeyflower) has thick, suckering, erect stems and large, grey-green leaves with conspicuous stipules at the leaf base. The leaves give off an unpleasant odour when crushed and the leaflets have toothed margins. The flowers are reddish, bilaterally symmetrical, and produced in spring and early summer. It persists at the sites of old gardens and is naturalised from Perth to Bunbury. Native to southern Africa.

Melianthus major , RR

MIMOSACEAE - Wattle Family

A family with more than 3000 species, widespread in tropical and warm temperate regions, especially those with an arid climate. Most are trees and shrubs. In Western Australia there are over 600 native and 15 definitely naturalised species, although several others could also be considered as such. Many eastern Australian wattles have been planted in gardens, timber plantations or during mine site and agricultural rehabilitation. Most are capable of becoming naturalised. In addition, Western Australian wattles are frequently planted outside their natural range and, since rehabilitation works usually utilise aggressive colonising species for a fast result, these translocated species may displace localised and less fashionable wattle species. The planted species may also hybridise with indigenous wattles. Acacia (wattles) are trees or shrubs, sometimes spiny. In many species, the leaves are bipinnate with many small leaflets, but in most Australian species, the bipinnate leaves are only found on seedlings or occasionally on new growth after injury, and are called juvenile leaves. As the seedling grows, the leaf stalk becomes modified into a leaf-like phyllode, while the leaflets disappear entirely. Sometimes even the phyllodes disappear, and the plant is entirely leafless. The tiny flowers are grouped into dense globular or cylindrical spikes, either in the axils of the leaves or phyllodes or in sprays at the ends of branches. Acacia baileyana (Cootamundra wattle) is a large bushy shrub or small tree to 10m with smooth grey bark and delicate-looking, silvery or blue-grey bipinnate leaves to 5cm long. The showy, golden-yellow, globular flower heads are produced in long sprays from the leaf axils in winter. A garden escape found in jarrah forest and roadsides in the Perth area. Native to New South Wales.

Acacia sp., RR

A. dealbata (silver wattle) is a spreading shrub or tree to 10m, it has grey bark, corrugated when old, and angular, powdery-white branchlets. The young growth is usually silvery white. The silvery-hairy bipinnate leaves are about 10cm long. The numerous globular flower heads, produced in early spring, are in showy terminal and axillary sprays, and are sweetly scented. Distinguished from A. baileyana principally by the larger and differently-shaped leaves. It regenerates freely after fires and then often forms thickets. Suckers freely if roots are damaged. A garden escape, it is found sporadically throughout the jarrah forest, in karri forest at the Porongorups and along roadsides between Perth and Albany. Native to New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.

Acacia sp., PH

A. decurrens (early black wattle) is a small tree to 10m, with dark grey bark and branchlets that have wing-like ridges giving an angular appearance. The bright green bipinnate leaves are up to 15cm long. Showy, bright yellow globular flower heads are produced in terminal sprays during winter. A garden escape found on roadsides, creeklines and wasteland between Perth and Albany. Native to New South Wales.

A. decurrens , PH

A. elata (mountain cedar wattle) is a tall spreading tree to 10m, with grey to blackish bark. The large (up to 25 cm) bipinnate leaves are a dark glossy green and look very much like fern leaves. The globular cream flower heads are produced in spring in racemes borne in the leaf axils. A garden escape, it is spreading along creeklines from old plantings in the Darling Range. Native to New South Wales.

A. elata , GK

A. farnesiana (mimosa bush) is a dense, sprawling, spiny shrub to 4m with bipinnate leaves and paired spines at each node. It is distinguished from mesquite (Prosopis sp) by the fact that its sweetly-scented yellow flowers are grouped into globular flower heads arising from the leaf axils, and by its pods which are black and sausage shaped, and tend to be retained on the plant. It is a widespread weed of roadsides, creeks, rivers and disturbed flood plains, from the Kimberley to Carnarvon and occasionally south to Muchea along the roads used by trucks carrying stock from the pastoral area. In the south of France this plant is grown for an oil used in the perfume trade. Aboriginal people ate the young pods after roasting. A South American species widely introduced in the tropics; introduced to Australia prior to European settlement.

A. farnesiana , GK

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A family with more than 3000 species, widespread in tropical and warm temperate regions, especially those with an arid climate. Most are trees and shrubs. In Western Australia there are over 600 native and 15 definitely naturalised species, although several others could also be considered as such. Many eastern Australian wattles have been planted in gardens, timber plantations or during mine site and agricultural rehabilitation. Most are capable of becoming naturalised. In addition, Western Australian wattles are frequently planted outside their natural range and, since rehabilitation works usually utilise aggressive colonising species for a fast result, these translocated species may displace localised and less fashionable wattle species. The planted species may also hybridise with indigenous wattles. *Acacia* (wattles) are trees or shrubs, sometimes spiny. In many species, the leaves are bipinnate with many small leaflets, but in most Australian species, the bipinnate leaves are only found on seedlings or occasionally on new growth after injury, and are called juvenile leaves. As the seedling grows, the leaf stalk becomes modified into a leaf-like phyllode, while the leaflets disappear entirely. Sometimes even the phyllodes disappear, and the plant is entirely leafless. The tiny flowers are grouped into dense globular or cylindrical spikes, either in the axils of the leaves or phyllodes or in sprays at the ends of branches. *Acacia baileyana* (Cootamundra wattle) is a large bushy shrub or small tree to 10m with smooth grey bark and delicate-looking, silvery or blue-grey bipinnate leaves to 5cm long. The showy, golden-yellow, globular flower heads are produced in long sprays from the leaf axils in winter. A garden escape found in jarrah forest and roadsides in the Perth area. Native to New South Wales.	*Acacia* sp., RR
*A. dealbata* (silver wattle) is a spreading shrub or tree to 10m, it has grey bark, corrugated when old, and angular, powdery-white branchlets. The young growth is usually silvery white. The silvery-hairy bipinnate leaves are about 10cm long. The numerous globular flower heads, produced in early spring, are in showy terminal and axillary sprays, and are sweetly scented. Distinguished from A. baileyana principally by the larger and differently-shaped leaves. It regenerates freely after fires and then often forms thickets. Suckers freely if roots are damaged. A garden escape, it is found sporadically throughout the jarrah forest, in karri forest at the Porongorups and along roadsides between Perth and Albany. Native to New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.	*Acacia* sp., PH
*A. decurrens* (early black wattle) is a small tree to 10m, with dark grey bark and branchlets that have wing-like ridges giving an angular appearance. The bright green bipinnate leaves are up to 15cm long. Showy, bright yellow globular flower heads are produced in terminal sprays during winter. A garden escape found on roadsides, creeklines and wasteland between Perth and Albany. Native to New South Wales.	*A. decurrens* , PH
*A. elata* (mountain cedar wattle) is a tall spreading tree to 10m, with grey to blackish bark. The large (up to 25 cm) bipinnate leaves are a dark glossy green and look very much like fern leaves. The globular cream flower heads are produced in spring in racemes borne in the leaf axils. A garden escape, it is spreading along creeklines from old plantings in the Darling Range. Native to New South Wales.	*A. elata* , GK
*A. farnesiana* (mimosa bush) is a dense, sprawling, spiny shrub to 4m with bipinnate leaves and paired spines at each node. It is distinguished from mesquite (Prosopis sp) by the fact that its sweetly-scented yellow flowers are grouped into globular flower heads arising from the leaf axils, and by its pods which are black and sausage shaped, and tend to be retained on the plant. It is a widespread weed of roadsides, creeks, rivers and disturbed flood plains, from the Kimberley to Carnarvon and occasionally south to Muchea along the roads used by trucks carrying stock from the pastoral area. In the south of France this plant is grown for an oil used in the perfume trade. Aboriginal people ate the young pods after roasting. A South American species widely introduced in the tropics; introduced to Australia prior to European settlement.	*A. farnesiana* , GK