Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs at Nyabing, near Boxwood Hill and W of Ravensthorpe, south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub 0.3–1 m high. Branchlets coarsely pungent, finely appressed-puberulous. Leaves ±glabrous; pinnae 1 pair, 1.5–2.5 mm long; petiole to 0.5 mm long; pinnules mostly 2 pairs, oblong to obovate, 2–5 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, asymmetrically narrowed at apex, slightly thickened, green to subglaucous. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes > 0.5 mm long; peduncles 4–10 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 10–13-flowered, pale yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/2–2/3-united. Pods 2–3 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, very thinly coriaceous, finely appressed-puberulous. Seeds oblong to elliptic, 2–2.5 mm long, glossy.

Habitat

Grows in laterite or sand over laterite in tall, sometimes open, shrubland, usually dominated by mallee species.

Specimens

W.A.: 35 km SE of Ongerup, K.Newbey 9497 (PERTH) and N.Stevens KRN9497-1 (MELU, PERTH); c. 35 km due W of Ravensthorpe, P.G.Wilson 7110 (CANB, PERTH).

Notes

Precise affinities to other members of sect. Pulchellae are unclear, fide P.Guinet et al., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 80: 53–68 (1980). A distinctive species on account of its unijugate leaves with minute petioles and few pinnules, and its small, few-flowered heads.

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