Acacia elongata (Elongate Wattle)

Acacia elongata is a robust Australian native shrub, typically growing up to 3 m tall and about 1.5 m wide, suited to sunny, damp locations. It is naturally distributed along much of the New South Wales coast, extending into some tablelands, southern and central regions, and just into the Gold Coast of Queensland. It is commonly found in sandstone and sandy dry sclerophyll woodlands and heathlands.

This species belongs to Group 1 of Australian wattles, meaning it develops juvenile bipinnate leaves which are replaced by adult phyllodes—flattened petioles that serve as the mature foliage. The linear, narrow phyllodes reach up to 13 cm long and 0.3 cm wide, are dark green, slightly curved, with prominent longitudinal veins, and terminate in a short point.

Acacia elongata produces bright yellow flowers in globular heads, each containing up to 42 small staminate flowers, arranged in racemes of 1–7 in the axils of the phyllodes. Flowering occurs from late winter to spring (July to October). Following flowering, the shrub develops straight, flat pods up to 11 cm long and 0.5 cm wide, slightly raised over the seeds.