Postcard AU-793787

Acacia alata var. biglandulosa is commonly known as Winged Wattle, so named for its unusual, flat and continuous wing-like foliage that grows along the length of the branches. The species grows as a shrub to around 1.5 metres high and has masses of white and fluffy ball-like flower heads that appear between May and October. It occurs naturally from Port Gregory to Mount Michael, around 35 kilometres south-east of Geraldton, Western Australia, where it grows in a variety of soils in rocky hills, salt pans and heath-covered areas. While white flowers are not rare among the Australian wattles, they are also not especially common. The stamp photograph is by A Lyne, courtesy Australian National Botanic Gardens.