Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs mainly from Mogumber SE to near York but also recorded from Borden, Tambellup and Nyabing, c. 250 km SSE of York in south-western W.A.

Description

Low-spreading ±compact shrub 0.15–0.5 m high. Branchlets ribbed, hirsutellous and/or pubescent or pilose, with hairs patent to antrorsely appressed. Stipules foliaceous, 2–7 mm long. Phyllodes erect, asymmetric, shallowly sigmoid, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, usually 7–16 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide, acute, ±uncinate, hairy, 1-nerved per face; lateral nerves obscure. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles (3–) 5–10 mm long, densely hirsute to pubescent; basal bract broadly ovate; heads globular to slightly obloid, 5–6 mm diam., densely 27–33-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, with tube 5-nerved and lobes hirsutellous; petals glabrous or ±hirsutellous, 1-nerved. Pods narrowly oblong, undulate or curved; valves strongly recurved circinately after dehiscence, to 4 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, hirsute to pilose. Seeds transverse to oblique, 2–3 mm long, ovate to widely elliptic, shiny, dark brown, obliquely truncate adjacent to subterminal aril.

Habitat

Grows in sand, sandy clay or gravelly loam in open heath and open Eucalyptus wandoo woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: Swan R., J.Drummond 295 (A, BM, G, K, NY, OXF, P, PERTH); 14.6 km from Toodyay towards Goomalling, R.J.Cumming 1840 (PERTH); Mogumber, L.Diels 3195 (PERTH); 1.6 km W of Nyabing, K.Newbey 399 (PERTH).

Notes

Acacia crassistipula has affinities to A. crispula, A. shuttleworthii and A. gregorii, none of which have the foliaceous stipules of this species.

A specimen from the Moore R. at Mogumber (C.A.Gardner 585, PERTH) has larger than normal phyllodes, i.e. 20–25 mm long and 4–5.5 mm wide.

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.Rogers