Acacia rigens, commonly known as Nealie, is an erect or speading shrub or small tree that is endemic to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Other common names include Needle Wattle, Needlebush Acacia, Nealia and Nilyah.

Plants grows to between 1 and 6 metres high and have rigid, terete phyllodes that are between 3 and 13 cm long. The bright yellow flowerheads appear in groups of up to four in the axils of the phyllodes. These appear between July and December in the species native range, followed by curled, twisted or coiled seed pods which are 4 to 10 cm long and 2 to 3 mm wide.

The species occurs on red earth, sandy or shaley soils in mallee

Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands

Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands is a Major Vegetation Group which occurs in semi-arid areas of southern Australia. The vegetation is dominated by mallee eucalypts which are rarely over 6 metres high...

 and woodland in southern Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

, South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 and Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

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The larvae of the Double-spotted Lineblue

Nacaduba biocellata

The Double-spotted Line Blue is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Australia , Singapore, the New Hebrides, Sumba and Bali.The wingspan is about 20 mm. Adult females have a brown upperside, while the males are blue with narrow black margins...

 butterfly feed on this species.

The species was first formally described in 1832 by botanist Allan Cunningham

Allan Cunningham (botanist)

Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...

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Cultivation

The species is fast-growing and is both frost and drought tolerant, rarely requiring watering after establishment. It is adaptable to most soils and is best suited to a position in full sun or light shade.