Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Widespread between Kalbarri and Nyabing extending inland to Paynes Find and c. 100 km ENE of Norseman, W.A.

Description

Intricate spreading shrub to 2 m high. Branchlets glabrous to subglabrous; epidermis light grey. Stipules 1–1.5 mm long, ±spinose. Phyllodes sessile or subsessile, ±patent, slightly inequilaterally narrowly oblong to narrowly oblong-elliptic or lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, sometimes linear, usually 7–22 mm long and 1–2 mm wide, pungent, rigid, green, normally glabrous, 5-nerved, with the 2-nerved adaxial margin thick and somewhat nerve-like; midrib prominent. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles usually 5–16 mm long, glabrous or appressed-puberulous; heads globular, usually 20–30-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free; petals nerveless. Pods curved, terete to compressed, quadrangular by broad margins when young, to 6.5 cm long, usually 4–5 mm wide, thickly coriaceous to subwoody, red-brown, obscurely striate, ±glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to elliptic, usually 3.5–5 mm long; aril terminal, conical.

Habitat

Grows in a variety of habitats but commonly on low laterite hills or associated with granite outcrops in scrub, shrubland or mallee communities. Between Port Gregory and Kalbarri it occurs in coastal heath on sandstone cliffs or limestone hills.

Specimens

W.A.: Mt Gibson, D.G.Fell 0229 (PERTH); Woodline, c. 95 km ENE of Norseman, G.J.Keighery 3006 (PERTH); 1.6 km S of Gnarming on road to Kulin, B.R.Maslin 521 (MO, NSW, NY, PERTH); Hawks Head Lookout, Murchison R., B.R.Maslin 1713 (PERTH); 9.6 km from Port Gregory towards Northampton, B.R.Maslin 3127 (K, PERTH).

Notes

Widespread and variable. Plants from Port Gregory to Kalbarri often have phyllodes 2–4 mm wide and, in exposed coastal areas, are often wind-pruned and prostrate. Plants from Lake Grace to Lake King have smaller than normal phyllodes (4–8 mm long), peduncles (2–6 mm long), heads (12–16-flowered), pods (c. 2.5 mm wide) and seeds (c. 2.5 mm long).

Similar to A. baxteri which has ribbed, sometimes pruinose branchlets, stout peduncles, heads with more flowers and non-striate pods. Also resembles Acacia sp. Kalannie North (B.R.Maslin 7702).

FOA Reference

Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia

Author

Minor edits by B.R.Maslin

B.R.Maslin