Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered but locally common from Karlgarin S to Gnowangerup, Chillilup Pool and near Jerramungup in south-western W.A. The record from Nembudding that was given in the protologue was based on a misidentification of a specimen of A. caesariata.

Description

Spreading shrub 0.5–1.3 m high. Branchlets puberulous, pilose or villous; hairs patent or appressed and sometimes golden on young growth. Phyllodes narrowly oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, (2–) 2.5–4 (6–) cm long, (3–) 4–9 mm wide, obtuse-mucronulate, coriaceous to rigid-coriaceous, ±shortly villous, with many raised main nerves on each face and longitudinally to obliquely anastomosing minor nerves in between; gland to 5 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences (1- or) 2-headed racemes, sometimes simple; raceme axes 0.5–4.5 mm long; peduncles 2–6 (-10) mm long, densely golden- or white-hairy; basal bract persistent; heads globular, 4–6 mm diam., mostly (27–) 35–45 (–47)-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods strongly undulate, to 3 cm long, 6–8 mm wide, thinly coriaceous, villous or pilose. Seeds oblique, broadly ovate, round or oblong-oval, 2.5–3 mm long, glossy, dark brown; aril subapical.

Habitat

Grows in Eucalyptus low woodland or open shrub mallee, in clayey sand and red clay loam.

Specimens

W.A.: 1.6 km E of Lake Grace, K.Newbey 1760 (B, BM, G, MO, PERTH); 46.6 km SE of Ongerup, K.Newbey 3382 (AD, BRI, PERTH, W); Karlgarin, Apr. 1968, H.G.Rae s.n. (PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. flavipila group’, most nearly related to A. flavipila, differing in proportions of the phyllodes and their venation in particular, but also in the number of flowers per head, and in the fruit size and shape. There is a resemblance also to A. ixiophylla which, besides occurring in eastern Australia, has both stellate and simple hairs on many parts and non-undulate pods. Superficially similar to A. caesariata.

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 J.Reid

R.S.Cowan