Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs in an area bounded on the N by Frank Hann Natl Park, Peak Eleonora and Kumarl (all S or SSW of Norseman), SE to Mt Ridley (c. 65 km due NE of Esperance), W.A.

Description

Compact to ±open shrub 0.3–0.9 m high. Branchlets glabrous, sometimes resinous and vernicose. Phyllodes crowded, on ±raised stem-projections, erect or ascending, linear, straight or shallowly incurved, (5–) 7–17 (–20) mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, narrowed at base, obliquely mucronate, slightly thickened, glaucous (at least when young), glabrous, 3-nerved in all; midrib immersed and not or scarcely evident; nerve on abaxial margin yellow to brown; adaxial marginal and lateral nerves absent; gland 0.2–1.5 mm above base. Inflorescences rudimentary 1 (or 2)-headed racemes with axes 0.5–1 mm long; peduncles 8–16 mm long, glabrous; basal bract persistent; heads globular, 4.5–5 mm diam., 10–17-flowered, golden; bracteoles absent. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free or united near base. Pods oblong to narrowly oblong, prominently raised over seeds alternately on each side, to 25 mm long, 10–12 mm wide, chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds transverse, broadly elliptic, c. 5 mm long; funicle gradually thickened to once-folded; aril subterminal.

Habitat

Grows in clay, sandy loam or loamy clay on flats, in open shrub mallee, open dwarf scrub or low heath.

Specimens

W.A.: 6.4 km SW of Mt Ridley, T.E.H.Aplin 4003 (AD, PERTH); 7.8 km W of Salmon Gums on West Salmon Gums Rd, M.A.Burgman 2588 & S.McNee (PERTH); 26 km NNE of Swallow Rock, Frank Hann Natl Park, K.Newbey 6857 (PERTH).

Notes

Phyllode venation as in A. carnosula to which it is possibly related. Glabrous variants of A. lachnophylla, another possible relative, have phyllodes with the gland more than 4 mm above the pulvinus, and narrow, coiled 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