Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from Kellerberrin E to Boorabbin, inland south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub or tree 2-4 m high, diffuse, open, rather spindly. New shoots resinous. Branchlets pendulous, flexuose, glabrous or minutely sericeous between resin-ribs and especially at nodes. Phyllodes widely spreading, linear, strongly incurved, sometimes ±sigmoid, rhombic to compressed-rhombic in section, sometimes flat, (5.5-) 8-17 (-23) cm long, 1-2 mm wide, innocuous, green to grey-green, minutely sericeous between nerves, with broad yellowish central nerve and marginal nerves, and 1-3 finer closely parallel intervening nerves. Inflorescences simple, mostly 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 4-11 mm long, sparsely to densely sericeous; heads globular to broadly ellipsoid, 7-12 mm long, 6-8 mm diam., subdensely 22-32 flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 3/4-united. Pods linear, slightly raised over and constricted between seeds, ±curved, to 12 cm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, dark brown except for the broad yellow margins, sericeous. Seeds longitudinal, linear-elliptic, 4.5-5 mm long, ±glossy, mottled brown and cream; aril white.

Habitat

Grows in yellow sand in sandplain heath, scrub and tall open shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: near Kellerberrin, Dec. 1943, G.E.Brockway (PERTH); 1.6 km E of Boorabbin, C.A.Gardner 7998 (AD, B, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH); c. 10.5 km E of Muntadgin, B.R.Maslin 1822 (AD, B, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH); Chiddarcooping Nature Reserve, B.R.Maslin 6387 (CANB, PERTH, Z).

Notes

Related to A. sciophanes which has a similar habit but is distinguished by its phyllodes being ±cruciate in section and having four broad longitudinal nerves alternating with four deep furrows. Also related to A. heteroneura which has straight phyllodes and non-pendulous, straight branchlets. Acacia merinthophora (sect. Juliflorae) is very similar in habit to A. anfractuosa but is readily distinguished by its subsessile, obloid to short-cylindrical flower-heads and tetramerous flowers.

FOA Reference

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

Author

B.R.Maslin

Minor edits by J.Reid

R.S.Cowan