Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from the Mount Barker–Stirling Ra. area SE to Albany and Beaufort Inlet, south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub normally 0.2–0.7 m high. Branchlets usually antrorsely puberulous and short-pilose admixed. Pinnae normally 2 or 3 pairs, 2–5 mm long (proximal pinnae), 3–12 mm long (distal pinnae); apices flat, ±elliptic and often recurved; petiole 1–2 mm long; rachis 1.5–4 (–10) mm long; pinnules 2 or 3 pairs (proximal pinnae), 2–5 pairs (distal pinnae), normally narrowly oblong, 2–6 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, recurved to revolute, obliquely narrowed at apex, green, glabrous to hirsutellous; gland on rachis at base of pinnae, occasionally also on petiole, sessile, not prominent. Inflorescences simple, normally 1 per axil; peduncles 10–20 mm long, usually hirsutellous to shortly pilose; heads globular to cylindrical, 16–30-flowered, cream to pale yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/2–3/4-united, 1-nerved; petals ±sparsely hirsutellous, 1-nerved. Pods 2–5 cm long, 4–6 mm wide, puberulous-hirsutellous to short-villous. Seeds oblique, elliptic, 3 mm long.

Habitat

Grows in sand, sandy clay and loam in low lying (seasonal) swamps in woodland and mallee communities.

Specimens

W.A.: Beaufort Inlet, G.J.Keighery 4865 (CANB, PERTH); 14.5 km NE of Albany towards Jerramungup, B.R.Maslin 1080 (PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. drummondii group’ similar to A. varia var. varia, especially in floral morphology. A variant with glabrous, prominently ribbed branchlets and glabrous peduncles and petals occurs at Albany and Stirling Ra. (e.g. E.Pritzel 349, AD, B, E, G-DC, K, L, LY, M, MO, NSW, P, PR, US, Z). This variant is sometimes sympatric with the typical variant.

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