Acacia colletioides Benth.
WATTLE
Acacias of Australia
Common Name
Pin-bush, Spine Bush, Wait-a-while
Family
Fabaceae
Distribution
Widespread throughout southern Australia from near Geraldton, W.A., E through S.A. and NW Vic. to N.S.W. where it occurs S and W of the Byrock-Nyngan area and is dubiously recorded for Dubbo area.
Description
Shrub or tree 0.5–3 m high, rigid, diffuse to dense. Branchlets glabrous or sparsely appressed-puberulous and glabrescent, scarred where phyllodes have fallen. Phyllodes sessile, inserted on distinct yellow stem-projections, patent to ascending, straight to ±curved, ±terete, (1–) 1.5–3 (–4) cm long, 1–1.5 mm diam., subulate, pungent, rigid, glabrous, with 8 strongly raised lighter coloured nerves and raised stomata; gland 0–2 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 1.5–5 mm long, glabrous; basal bracts cucullate, ±semicircular; heads subglobular, often widely ellipsoid, 3–5 mm long, 3–4.5 mm diam., 12–24-flowered; bracteoles peltate. Flowers mostly 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, constricted between seeds, 1- or 2-coiled, to 7 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, thin-coriaceous, ±reticulate, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oval to ovate, 3.5–4 mm long, shiny, black; aril nearly enveloping seed, orange or yellow.
Habitat
Grows in a variety of soils, mainly in mallee scrub or open woodland.
Specimens
W.A.: 2.4 km N of Yellowdine, B.R.Maslin 1840 (BRI, PERTH, RSA, SYD). S.A.: Lake Everard Stn, A.G.Spooner 2434 (PERTH). N.S.W.: 11.1 km NW of Eubalong West on Mount Hope Rd, R.Coveny 12051 & P.Hind (A, B, BRI, MEL, MO, NSW, PERTH, TL, US). Vic.: 17.6 km W along road running W from Sunset Tank–Merrinee road, M.G.Corrick 6620 & P.Short (BRI, PERTH).
Notes
This species provides a safe nesting habitat for birds.
Closely related to A. nyssophylla. Phyllodes superficially similar to those of A. asepala. Also superficially similar to A. atrox of N.S.W, A. subsessilis of W.A. and A. enterocarpa of S.A. and Vic.
FOA Reference
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia
Author
R.S.Cowan
Minor edits by B.R.Maslin & J.Reid
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