Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered from Mt Holland (c. 85 km due NE of Hyden) and Lake King E to Kumarl and Scaddan (which are located between Norseman and Esperance) in south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub normally 0.3–0.5 m high, dense to moderately open, domed to obconic. Branchlets tomentulose and with black micro-hairs. Phyllodes oblong-elliptic, ±incurved, mostly 0.7–2.5 cm long, 2.5–5.5 mm wide, obtuse or subobtuse with small mucro, rigid, thick, glabrous except for tomentulose pulvinus, with (4–) 5–7 prominent distant yellowish nerves; stomata present on dark-coloured interstices between nerves; gland single. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 0.5–2 mm long, glabrous; basal peduncular bract cucullate, rostrate, 2.5–4 mm long; heads globular, 3–3.5 mm diam., 14–25-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, ±constricted between seeds, ±curved, 1.2–2.2 cm long, 2 mm wide, crustaceous, puberulous with red glandular(?) papillae; marginal nerve distinct, paler. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, brown-black; aril terminal.

Habitat

Grows in loam or loamy clay and sand, in open scrub and shrubland mallee.

Specimens

W.A.: 20 km E of Scaddan, P. van der Moezel 244 (PERTH); One Mile Rock Reserve, B.R.Maslin 4484 (CANB, PERTH); 13 km SW of Mt Day, K.Newbey 5296 (BM, PERTH); 4 km NE of Peak Charles, Peak Charles Natl Park, K.Newbey 5407 (MO, PERTH); 22 km WNW of Roberts Swamp, c. 53 km W of Grass Patch, K.Newbey l8141 (PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. densiflora group’, nearest A. undosa which has much thinner, linear to oblanceolate-linear phyllodes with more nerves and undulate pods. There is also a superficial resemblance to A. amyctica.

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