Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.

Tree commonly 8–10 m high but reaching 35 m high under favourable conditions, glabrous (except ovary). Bark smooth and grey (young trees), aging fissured. Branchlets slender, terete except flattened towards apices, glabrous. Phyllodes very narrowly elliptic, shallowly to obviously falcately recurved or sometimes straight and dimidiate (i.e. lower margin ± straight, upper margin convex), (8–) 10–20 (–22.5) cm long, (10–) 12–40 (–60) mm wide; longitudinal veins numerous and rather close together, 3–5 (–6) more pronounced than the rest, remaining separate from one another and not confluent with lower margin at base of phyllode, (2–) 3–6 per mm, anastomoses relatively few to subnumerous and clearly longitudinally trending but not forming a net-like reticulum; base tapered with pulvinus 2–6 mm long; gland 1, not prominent but slightly raised, 0–1 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences comprising 1 to several spikes within axils of phyllodes; spikes 5–8.5 (–10) cm long, interrupted, bright yellow to golden; peduncles 4–8 (–20) mm long. Flowers 5‑merous; calyx 0.9–1.3 mm long, dissected for ¼–⅓ of its length, glabrous; corolla 1.7–2.4 mm long, dissected for c. ½ of its length, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent. Pods strongly and often irregularly curved (into an open circle) or spirally coiled, sometimes twisted, flat but outer margins prominently undulate, c. 5–8 cm long, (7–) 10–18 (–22) mm wide, thickly coriaceous to ± woody, variably pruinose, transversely veined. Seeds ± transverse, elliptic to broadly elliptic, flattened, 4–6 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, dark brown to black, shiny; areole open at hilar end; funicle/aril encircling seed, orange or sometimes yellow or red.

They are tropical plants. Often trees grow in monsoon vine forest. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 500 m altitude. They are often along the banks of freshwater streams. It prefers open sunny positions. It can survive drought. It is damaged by frost. It can grow on poor soils. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Details of the utilisation of Acacia auriculiformis are given in J.W. Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Australian Trees and Shrubs 108–111 (1986), J.C. Doran et al. in J.C. Doran & J.W. Turnbull (eds), Australian Trees and Shrubs: Species for Land Rehabilitation and Farm Planting in the Tropics 112–115 (1997), D.J. Boland et al., Forest Trees of Australia 5th edn, 136–137 (2006) and K. Pinyopusarerk et al. in L. Thomson et al., Trees for Life in Oceania 29–30 (2018). Acacia auriculiformis has been introduced to many tropical countries (in south and southeast Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Latin America) where it is planted as a source of timber, fuelwood (firewood and charcoal), stock fodder, ornamental shade tree and other uses. It can become an invasive weed in some areas when it escapes from cultivation. A heartwood extract inhibits fungi that attack wood (Beasley 2009: 29).

It is grown from seed. The seed needs treatment to help it grow. Normally this is by putting the seeds in very hot water and letting the water cool down overnight then planting the seeds immediately. It is a fast growing plant.