Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Of restricted distribution, from Miling (c. 30 km due SW of Dalwallinu) SE to Trayning (c. 60 km due NW of Merredin), with a variant from Morawa and near Wubin, south-western W.A.

Description

Phyllodes ±terete to rhombic-terete in section, sometimes angular-rhombic, 3–6 cm long, 0.7–1 mm diam., somewhat pungent, sericeous between the nerves or glabrous (young phyllodes with minute red resin-hairs especially on the main nerves); nerve at apex of each (normally slight) angle slightly or obviously wider than the 3 intervening nerves. Peduncles 2–6 mm long, densely sericeous with varying proportions of red resin-hairs intermixed; flower-heads globular, 5–6 mm diam., golden. Pods to 8 cm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, 2–2.5 mm thick; margins about as broad as valve width. Seeds 3.5–4 mm long, yellowish brown with ±sparse darker brown mottlings.

Habitat

Grows in yellow sand and gravelly sand, in scrub and shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: between Maya and Latham, T.E.H.Aplin 427 (PERTH); between Pithara and Miling, W.E.Blackall 2889 (PERTH); 8.5 km from Wubin towards Wongan Hills, E.M.Canning WA/68 2920 (PERTH: variant); c. 13 km E of Wyalkatchem towards Trayning, F.Lullfitz L3058 (PERTH).

Notes

Plants from the Wubin area (e.g. E.M.Canning WA/68 2920) have slightly coarser phyllodes (to 1.2 mm diam.) than those elsewhere.

Variety petila is recognised by its short, non-flat, somewhat pungent phyllodes. The position of this taxon within the ‘Acacia heteroneura group’ needs to be reassessed, fide R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 39 (1995).

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