A hands-on history of our nation's floral emblem
In this vodcast, Dr Joe Miller, from the Centre for Plant biodiversity Research explains the Tree of trees display which focuses on the family tree of Australia’s national floral emblem, the golden wattle. (4:08)
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8 September 2009 | Updated 25 November 2011
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It’s part of our national emblem, the basis for our national colours and features prominently on the Order of Australia – the nation's highest honour – but how many people know its history?
The exhibit shows more than 50 species of wattles arranged on the lawn of the Australian National Botanic Garden's rock garden, in Canberra.
The display explains the location of each species throughout Australia and its position on the ‘evolutionary tree’ based on their genetic relationships.
Acacia is the largest genus of plants in Australia with over 1 000 species distributed from tropical rainforest to semi-arid regions. The display highlights the impressive variation of this species in leaf shapes and sizes.
Research into wattles is being undertaken at the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research – a joint venture between CSIRO Plant Industry and the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
Read more about the Australian National Botanical Gardens [external link].
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