Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Confined to S.A. (apparently common in Gawler Ranges); rare in W.A. where it is recorded only the Rawlinson Ra. and Lorna Glen Stn, E of Wiluna. The species is currently not known to occur in N.T.; the P.K.Latz 7500 specimen cited for N.T. by L.Pedley, Fl. Australia 11B: 314 (2001) is A. paraneura.

Description

Shrub to 5 m tall, spreading. Branchlets with appressed white hairs between yellowish resinous ribs and scattered red-glandular hairs on new growth. Phyllodes terete or subterete, occasionally flat, straight or slightly curved, 5–12.5 (–15.5) cm long, 1–1.5 (–1.8) mm diam./wide, appressed-pubescent between rather wide longitudinal nerves. Inflorescences usually single in axils; peduncles 4–10 mm long; spikes 10–25 mm long. Flowers 5-merous; sepals spathulate, 0.6–1 mm long, free or shortly united, with long hyaline hairs on margins in upper half; corolla 1.3–1.4 mm long, rarely to 2 mm, with at least a few hairs in upper part; stamens 2.5–3 mm long; ovary with longish ±appressed white hairs. Pods not stipitate, oblong, flat, straight, 25–50 mm long, 6–10 mm wide, not winged, cartilaginous, brown, longitudinally reticulately nerved. Seeds ±longitudinal, oblong, 4–6 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide; aril small, terminal, pileate, pale.

Habitat

Habitat data are scanty, but the species is recorded from sandy soil, including dunes, and rocky hills.

Specimens

W.A.: Giles Ck, S of Rawlinson Ranges, 22 June 1960, J.B.Cleland s.n. (AD); Lorna Glen Conservation Park (c. 150 km ENE of Wiluna), 3 km W of No. 9 Well, 19 km due SW of old HS building, B.R.Maslin, J.Miller & J.E.Reid BRM 9315 (AD, MEL, PERTH). Anacoora Bore, 30 June 1987, G.H.Clarke (AD). S.A.: Musgrave Ranges, west end, 19 Aug. 1954 & 20 Aug. 1954, J.B.Cleland s.n. (AD); Lagoon Ck, Mabel Creek Waterhole, 28 Sept. 1988, A.C.Robinson (AD, DNA).

Notes

Most closely related to A. brachystachya which has similar flowers but differs in its usually terete or subterete phyllodes and flat pods with cartilaginous valves. It has previously been identified as A. brachystachya or, more recently, A. cibaria.

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 & J.Rogers

L.Pedley