Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

An uncommon species occurring in the N.T. and north-western Qld, also from the Great Dividing Ra. near Torrens Creek southwards to 145 km N of Clermont.

Description

Shrub or tree to 2 (–3) m high, erect, often spindly. Bark smooth, brown. Branchlets compressed, angular, orange or yellow towards apex, later reddish, glabrous. Phyllodes erect, narrowly elliptic to linear or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, straight, (4–) 6–15 cm long, (4–) 5–12 mm wide, thinly coriaceous; widely spaced minor nerves 2–4 per mm, parallel, rarely anastomosing, hyaline, with stomata visible between nerves; midnerve raised, excentric towards base; gland 1, basal, minute. Spikes 2–3.5 cm long, interrupted, creamy white to very pale yellow. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.7–0.9 mm long, dissected to 1/2–3/4, fimbriate; corolla 1.5–2 mm long, dissected to ±3/4, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent. Pods pendulous, cultrate to linear, ±abruptly tapered at both ends, mostly flat to subterete when dry (terete but drying subterete to depressed), 4.5–12.5 cm long, 4–7 mm wide, woody, dark to blackish brown, often with paler margins, glabrous, opening elastically from apex. Seeds longitudinal, narrowly oblong, 5.4–6.5 mm long, black, dull, pitted; areole open; funicle running along and past one side of seed.

Phenology

Flowers recorded Dec., Jan., May–July.

Habitat

Grows in Acacia or eucalypt communities, on ridges and slopes, in clayey, sandy or rocky soils, on laterite and sandstone.

Specimens

N.T.: Mallapunyah Stn, I.D.Cowie 1683 & C.R.Dunlop (BRI, DNA, NSW); 60 miles [96 km] NE of Creswell Stn, R.A.Perry 1665 (CANB, NSW). Qld: Mt Mulligan, J.R.Clarkson 5863 (BRI, DNA, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH, QRS); c. 25 km SW of Pentland, L.Pedley 4818 (BRI); c. 22 km NNW of Yarromwere Stn on Great Dividing Ra., R.J.Henderson 2812, et al. (BRI).

Notes

A variant of uncertain status from the Cook District that is characterised by its narrowly linear phyllodes c. 3 mm wide and pods c. 3 mm wide (e.g. 3.7 km N of Fairlight on the Palmerville rd, J.R.Clarkson 9609 & V.J.Neldner, BRI, DNA n.v., L n.v., MBA n.v., MO n.v., MEL n.v., NSW n.v., PERTH, QRS n.v.). It superficially resembles A. guymeri which has broader pods and non-hyaline phyllode nerves.

Differing from A. subtilinervis in the longer, interrupted, few-flowered spikes in pairs in the upper axils. Acacia hyaloneura resembles A. whitei in general appearance.

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 B.R.Maslin & J.Rogers

Dr M.D.Tindale and Dr P.G.Kodela with the assistance of M.Bedward, S.J.Davies, C.Herscovitch, D.A.Keith and/or D.A.Morrison