About Acacia bakeri Maiden
Acacia bakeri Maiden is an erect or spreading tree, and is one of the largest Acacia species native to Australia. Mature specimens can grow up to 40 metres (130 feet) in height, with a trunk diameter at breast height of 90 centimetres (35 inches). When the species was first discovered, recorded specimens reached around 50 metres (160 feet), but modern specimens rarely exceed 8 metres (26 feet) in height. It has greyish-brown bark, and reddish, glabrous branchlets. Its phyllodes range from narrowly elliptic to broadly elliptic or lance-shaped, measuring 50–120 mm (2.0–4.7 in) long and mostly 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) wide. The phyllodes are thinly leathery and glabrous, with two to four prominent veins on each side. Flowers are arranged in spherical heads, grouped in clusters of two to four along a 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) stem. Each spherical head holds 10 to 20 pale yellow to cream-coloured flowers. Flowering occurs from roughly August to November. After flowering, it produces papery seed pods that grow up to 200 mm (7.9 in) long and 10–16 mm (0.39–0.63 in) wide, with a constricted shape between individual seeds. The seeds are oblong to broadly elliptic, dark brown, flattened, and 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long. This species is commonly called marblewood, and grows in lowland subtropical rainforest and rainforest margins. Its natural range extends from near the Burrum River, close to Maryborough in south-east Queensland, south to Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby in northeastern New South Wales. The seeds of A. bakeri have an unusual trait: they may start germinating before the pods fall from the parent tree. The timber of A. bakeri is yellowish, hard, and close-grained, which makes it suitable for use in flooring, cabinet work, and tool handles.
