Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs in the eastern Kimberley region, W.A., and in north-central N.T.

Description

Shrub to 1.5 m high. Branchlets pubescent with fine spreading to erect or retrorse white hairs, viscid. Stipules (1.5–) 2–3 mm long, glabrous, occasionally with tuft of hairs near base. Phyllodes in whorls of 10–15, usually wide-spreading, flattened, straight or ±incurved in lower half and recurved at apex, 8–15 mm long, with erect or antrorse hairs and an impressed nerve above, obscurely ribbed when dry; mucro 0.4–1.2 mm long. Peduncles 5–20 mm long, sparsely hairy. Heads 20–35-flowered. Flowers 5- or 6-merous; calyx narrowly obconical, 0.9–1.5 mm long, ribbed; calyx lobes incurved, narrowly triangular or sometimes ±linear, thick, glabrous or with hairy margins; corolla lobes striate, hairy. Pods sessile, straight, 35–70 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, glabrous; margins slightly thickened. Seeds longitudinal, 3 mm long; pleurogram open.

Habitat

Grows on rocky hillsides with spinifex and open woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: 29 km E of Kununurra, Olsen 491 (NSW); Halls Creek, R.A.Perry 2499 (CANB, PERTH). N.T.: Churchills Head, 6 km S of Morphett Ck, G.M.Chippendale NT990 (CANB, DNA); 77 km N of Tennant Creek, R.A.Perry 598 (BRI, CANB, DNA).

Notes

A distinctive species with broad, spreading phyllodes and long stipules and bracteoles (2–3 mm long). Its nearest relative is A. asperulacea. Has been confused with A. hippuroides which has long yellow hairs and a smooth corolla and is not closely related. Also confused with A. spondylophylla. The specimen R.A.Perry 2499 (CANB, PERTH) that was suggested by A.S.George, Fl. Australia 11B: 397 (2001), as one of a number representing a possible hybrid between A. galioides and A. perryi appears to be an undescribed species allied to A. orthocarpa; this same Perry specimen was also cited by A.S.George, Flora of Australia 11B: 399 (2001), under A. asperulacea. The collection from L. Argyle (M.H.Andrew 522, PERTH) referred to by A.S.George, Flora of Australia 11B: 397 (2001), seemingly represents a different undescribed species allied to A. mackenziei which is related to A. perryi.

FOA Reference

Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia

Author

A.S.George