Acacia is the genus name of the acacia tree. But that's only part of the scientific name. It needs to be followed by the specific species name. For example, Acacia plicata is the wattle tree of Geraldton and Perth in western Australia. Acacia implex is the Australian acacia or Lightwood tree. Acacia heterophylla is the Highland tamarin or Tamarin des Hauts of La Réunion, an island quite a bit off the coasts of Madagascar.