Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Sporadic from York S to Augusta and Denmark, south-western W.A.

Description

Glabrous shrub to c. 1 m high. Pinnae 1 or 2 pairs, 1.5-4 cm long; petiole 5-15 mm long, with rib on upper surface vertically flattened and dilated near the gland; rachis 5-10 mm long; pinnules 3-7 pairs, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 8-20 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, light green, reddish on new growth; gland obliquely terminating on rib on petiole at base of pinnae, sessile, prominent, and sometimes also on pinna-rachae at base of lowermost pair of pinnules. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil, sometimes falsely racemose due to phyllode reduction; peduncles 10-15 mm long; heads globular, loosely 2-8-flowered, white. Flowers 4‑merous; sepals united into a ±truncate calyx, 1/5-1/4 length of petals; ovary stipitate. Pods often twisted, 1-3 cm long, 4-6 mm wide. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to elliptic, 3.5-4 mm long.

Habitat

Grows in loam and sand usually over laterite, in Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest and eucalypt woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: Denmark, C.A.Gardner 407 (PERTH); Dryandra State Forest, G.J.Keighery 6692 (PERTH); near Karridale on Bussell Hwy, B.R.Maslin 476 (AD, MEL, NSW, PERTH).

Notes

Not closely related to other members of sect. Pulchellae. The diagnostic flower characters suggest close affinities to A. myrtifolia and its allies in sect. Phyllodineae, fide P.Guinet et al., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 80: 53–68 (1980).

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

B.R.Maslin