Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Disjunct, occurring around Eneabba, Cervantes and Toodyay, south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub 0.2–0.5 (–1) m high, intricate. Branchlets appressed-puberulous, sometimes spinose. Axillary spines 1 per node, 3–18 mm long. Leaves sometimes reflexed; pinnae 1 pair, 2–5 mm long; petiole absent; pinnules 2–4 pairs, normally obovate to narrowly oblong-obovate, 2–5 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, glaucous to subglaucous, glabrous to subglabrous; gland within axil of pinnae, stipitate, c. 0.5 mm long. Inflorescences simple, situated on upper half of axillary spine; peduncles 4–8 mm long, appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 13–25-flowered. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/2–3/4-united. Pods 3–8 cm long, 7–12 mm wide, slightly pruinose, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal to oblique, sometimes transverse, elliptic to circular, turgid, 3–4 mm long.

Habitat

Grows in sand in heath at Eneabba and in lateritic soil in Marri (Corymbia calophylla) forest at Toodyay.

Specimens

W.A.: W of Toodyay towards Perth, N.T.Burbidge 8034 (PERTH); just S of Arrowsmith R. on Eneabba–Arrino road, 1 July 1973, C.Chapman (AD, B, BRI, CANB, K, L, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); Swan R., J.Drummond 2: 154 (?BM, G, G-DC, K, LUND, MEL, NSW, OXF, P, PERTH.

Notes

Acacia fagonioides and A. epacantha are unique within the ‘A. pulchella group’ in having inflorescences borne on axillary spines which commonly have the appearance of short branchlets. Acacia fagonioides is further distinguished from A. pulchella by pods 7–12 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