Acacia pycnostachya F.Muell. ex Benth.
WATTLE
Acacias of Australia
Common Name
Bolivia Wattle
Family
Fabaceae
Distribution
Occurs on the Northern Tablelands, N.S.W., on the Bolivia Ra., from Bluff Rock to Bolivia Hill. There is a specimen collected from Laidley, Moreton District, Qld, J.King (NSW50214), but according to L.Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 75: 59 (1964) this is probably labelled incorrectly.
Description
Shrub or tree to 7 m high, pruinose. Bark scaly or slightly corrugated, dark brown over reddish. Branchlets flattened, coarse, 3.5–11 mm wide, purplish, orange-brown or tan, pruinose, sharply angled below phyllodes; ridge decurrent into narrow wing joining abaxial phyllode margin. Phyllodes oblique, elliptic to narrowly elliptic or sometimes slightly obovate or oblong-elliptic, 6–11.5 cm long, 10–30 mm wide, coriaceous, rigid, glabrous, with 3 nerves slightly more prominent; minor nerves mostly 3–4 per mm, longitudinal, conspicuous, rarely anastomosing; lower margin normally continuous with branchlet; gland minute, basal. Inflorescence racemose; raceme axis 1–9 (–15) mm long. Spikes subsessile, 2.5–7.5 cm long, dense, dark yellow. Flowers 5-merous (rarely 4-merous or with reduced fifth sepal amongst predominantly 5-merous flowers); calyx 0.8–1.1 mm long, sinuate, dissected to 1/5, pubescent especially margins and base, with fimbriolate margins; corolla 2.5–3 mm long, dissected to 1/3, with papillose apices; ovary villous. Pods linear, slightly constricted between and slightly raised over seeds, 8–12 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, longitudinally wrinkled; margins paler. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, 4–6 mm long, black; pleurogram inconspicuous.
Phenology
Flowers Aug.–Oct.
Habitat
Grows amongst boulders on granite slopes in sandy soil, in dry heath and Eucalyptus -Callitris woodland.
Specimens
N.S.W.: Shiny Ra., Bolivia, E.F.Constable 7084 (NSW, PERTH); 34.2 km S of Tenterfield, N.Hall H84/51 (NSW); Bolivia Mtn, L.Murray 67, R.G.Coveny & W.Bishop (AD, BRI, CANB, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH, UC); Bluff Rock, 8 miles [12.8 km] S of Tenterfield, H.Salasoo 5470 (NSW).
Notes
Characterised by very coarse, sharply ridged but flattened branchlets.
FOA Reference
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia
Author
Dr M.D.Tindale and Dr P.G.Kodela with the assistance of M.Bedward, S.J.Davies, C.Herscovitch, D.A.Keith and/or D.A.Morrison
Minor edits by B.R.Maslin & J.Rogers
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