The wattles this August have been the best we can remember, both in the Park and along the surrounding roads – particularly our national emblem Acacia pycnantha. So I thought this article could be of interest to members. It’s adapted from a report I received via the Association of Botanical Gardens. Ed,
A plant name dispute that has bubbled away for a decade has finally been resolved at the XVIII International Botanical Congress in Melbourne in July.
The species concerned are the acacias, which until now has included the Australian wattles and the thorn trees of the Serengeti—both highly recognisable and iconic groups of plants.
Acacia taxonomy has generated much controversy in the scientific and wider community over the past decade. Careful research has shown that Acacia should be split into several genera, and a difficult decision was required as to whether the name Acacia should be used either for a very large group of species found mainly in Australia or for a smaller group found mainly in Africa and Central and South America.
Under the internationally accepted rules governing the correct naming of plants, the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, the name would normally have remained with the African-American group, as this includes the species Acacia nilotica, which is the nomenclatural type species, the species which fixes the application of the genus name. However, a special provision of the Code allows for the name of the type species of a genus to be changed in cases like this, where strict application of the rules would require a large number of species to be renamed, and would cause confusion or significant difficulties for taxonomists or the wider community.
The question as to whether the name Acacia would belong to the Australian or the African species has been simmering since 2003. The proposal was highly controversial. Acacia is an important genus in both Africa and Australia: in Africa it includes iconic and characteristic savannah species such as many flat-topped thorn trees, while in Australia it is the dominant genus over much of the continent and includes the Australian floral emblem (the Golden Wattle, Acacia pycnantha).
In summary, the decisions taken in Melbourne confirm that the Australian acacias retain the name, while a new name is needed for the African and American species. Several options for achieving a good result in Africa and the Americas are available, and will be discussed and considered in the months ahead.