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Flattening of a small part of one of the stems of a Prickly Moses Acacia (pic 2) forms a wreath-like twist (Pic 3). The flattened part of the stem appears to have caused the shortening of the secondary stems and internodes, pulling the spiky leaves into clusters.
Spotted on Acacia verticillata (Prickly Moses), a very prickly acacia bush growing in a nature reserve.
This flattening or bundling of the stem in plants is called "Fasciation". There are several causes for this "malformation" - it could be fungal, bacterial, hormonal, injury and some are even caused by insects and nematodes where the plant reacts forming gall-like structures. I am not able to find any information specific to Acacias except that this curling kind of fasciation is called " fiddle fasciation". I hope to investigate this further but would love to hear from anyone that knows more about this fascinating fasciation ! I have placed this spotting under "Other" because I am not sure what causes this interesting deformity. This spotting is not about the plant as this phenomenon is not specific to acacias.
Spotted on Feb 17, 2014
Submitted on Feb 18, 2014
3 Comments
Very interesting and actually very beautiful, you are looking for answers in a very sophisticated subject, hope you can get them from a knowledgeable Member here in PN.
A furlong of faciation fashion fascination?
Certainly interesting.
I hope they don't become a fashion accessory at the Melbourne Cup.