Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered from Mt Malcolm in the Fraser Ra. E to Norseman and SE of Peak Charles, south-western W.A.

Description

Harsh spreading shrub 0.4–1.3 m high. Branchlets stout, green, finely yellow-ribbed, usually glabrous, with numerous lenticels (observe at ×10 mag.). Stipules spinose, 2.5–5 mm long, straight or shallowly recurved. Phyllodes sessile, patent to ascending, straight or shallowly curved, sometimes slightly kinked at the gland, pentagonal in section, 15–45 mm long, c. 1.5 mm diam., pungent, rigid, thick, green, usually glabrous, 5-nerved; gland 1–5 mm above base, 1–2 mm long. Inflorescences rudimentary 2–4-headed racemes with axes < 0.5 mm long; peduncles 3–5 mm long, yellow to light brown, glabrous, often recurved in fruit; heads globular, c. 25–flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/2–3/4-united. Pods (mostly immature) linear, to 9 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, crustaceous, blackish, usually glabrous. Seeds (immature) longitudinal; aril pileiform.

Habitat

Grows in sand or loam, often near granite rocks or salt lakes, in Eucalyptus woodland or mallee communities.

Specimens

W.A.: base of Peak Charles, B.R.Maslin 5789 (AD, K, MEL, MEXU, NSW, PERTH); 25 km SSE of Mt Malcolm, K.Newbey 7635 (PERTH); 30.5 km E of Norseman, R.D.Royce 3525 (PERTH).

Notes

Related to A. concolorans, sometimes confused with A. calcarata.

Newbey’s specimen from SSE of Mt Malcolm differs from those elsewhere in having antrorsely puberulous branchlets, phyllodes and pods.

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

Minor edits by J.Rogers