Acacia lauta

Acacia lauta, commonly known as Tara wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to north eastern Australia. It is rated as being vulnerable according to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Description
The shrub typically grows to a height of 2 m and has a sprawling habit. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The evergreen, patent to reclined phyllodes have a length of 20 to 20 mm and a width of 1.5 to 2.5 mm with a midrib that is slightly raised and quite distinct. When it blooms it produces simple inflorescences supported on glabrous to sparsely hairy peduncles that are 3 to 7 mm in length. The spherical flower-heads contain 25 to 30 bright golden flowers. Following flowering glabrous seed pods form with a length of 6 cm and a width of 4 mm containing longitudinally arranged seeds with a length of 4 to 5 mm.

The shrub is closely related to and resembles Acacia johnsonii and is part of the Acacia johnsonii group.

Distribution
It is native to a small area of south eastern Queensland on the Darling Downs between Tara and Inglewood growing in sandy soils as a part of open woodland communities.