Acacia pusilla Maslin
Acacia pusilla Maslin
Fabaceae
Endemic in the Ravensthorpe Ra., south-western W.A.
Decumbent to erect dome-shaped subshrub 0.2–0.3 m high. Branchlets puberulous. Stipules persistent, setaceous, 1.5–3 mm long, recurved. Phyllodes crowded, on raised stem-projections, patent to erect, incurved from near base, subterete but often ±flat and linear when dry, 5–10 (–13) mm long, c. 1 mm wide, narrowed at base, excentrically mucronulate, sometimes ±glaucous, glabrous, ±nerveless; gland inconspicuous, 0.5–2 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 6–8 mm long, glabrous, recurved from base in fruit; basal bract semi-persistent, cucullate; heads globular, 2–2.5 mm diam., 8–12-flowered, bright light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, tightly irregularly coiled, turgid, 2–2.5 mm wide, thin-crustaceous, black, glabrous, ±resinous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to elliptic, c. 2.5 mm long, shiny, black; aril terminal, pileiform, white.
Grows in rocky clay on lower slopes, favours watercourses in dense shrub mallee woodland.
W.A.: near Mt Desmond, c. 13 km due SE of Ravensthorpe, B.R.Maslin 3905 (AD, BRI, MO, NSW, PERTH); 5 km E of Ravensthorpe, P.G.Wilson 5536 (AD, MEL, NSW, PERTH).
Superficially similar to A. lachnophylla which has caducous stipules, longer phyllodes with at least the midrib on each face normally evident and the gland commonly 4–12 mm above the base, larger heads with more flowers and mottled seeds. Also allied to A. rhamphophylla.
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia
Minor edits by J.Rogers
B.R.Maslin
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a mobile application:
URL: https://apps.lucidcentral.org/wattle/
© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.