Acacia doratoxylon

Acacia doratoxylon, Currawong or Spearwood, is an upright small tree that may reach a height of 8 metres, spreading to several metres wide.

It has a large natural inland range in NSW, across the tablelands, central western slopes and western plains, growing as far north as the Ashford-Texas (Queensland) region within NSW and as far west as Ivanhoe. However, there are also records in southern-central Queensland to as far west as Charleville. It extends slightly into Victoria – south-west of Albury and to the south-east close to the border.

It typically grows in dry sclerophyll woodlands and shrublands, often on higher ground on shallow and rocky soils – mostly sandy.

The bark is hard and fissured.

Australian Wattles at least, can be broadly placed into 1 of 3 recognisable groups:

• Group 1: Those that produce juvenile compound-bipinnate leaves and then change to producing adult-phyllodes which are modified-flattened petioles which form the foliage. This is combined with flowers produced in globular balls or heads (or ovoid heads). The heads can be singular in leaf/phyllode axils or arranged in groups.
• Group 2: As for Group 1 but flowers are produced in longer rod-like spikes.
• Group 3: Those that never produce phyllodes and retain the juvenile compound-bipinnate foliage into adulthood. These always produce flowers in globular balls (which are secondarily arranged into panicle or raceme-like groups in many cases).

It is thought that Groups 1 and 2 are more highly evolved than Group 3.

Phyllodes and bipinnate leaves are always alternate to clustered, never opposite.

This species if of Group 2: Phyllodes are more or less linear, up to 20 cm long and only 0.7 cm wide; grey-green in colour. Usually glands are absent but occasionally a small gland is present at the base of the phyllodes. The foliage has been used as stock fodder during drought.

Acacia spp. produce small 5-merous flowers, with 5 very small petals partly-fused into a short tube which sits above a fused calyx. The stamens are the main feature which are produced in high numbers per flower (staminate flowers), surrounding a single style.  In this species, golden flowers are held in rod-shaped clusters with from two to five at the base of each phyllode. Blooms are profuse and conspicious and appear in spring.

The fruit is a pod. In this species, it is about 10 cm long to 0.4 cm wide, usually flat.