Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Ranging from near Ajana N to Towrana Stn, S of Gascoyne Junction in central-western W.A.

Description

Rather dense shrub or tree 2–6 m high. New shoots pale yellow appressed-puberulous. Branchlets appressed-puberulous at extremities, sometimes glabrous. Phyllodes ascending to erect, straight to slightly curved, terete, 4–8 cm long, 1–1.5 mm diam., subulate-pungent, rigid, grey-green, minutely sericeous between the 12–16 close, slightly raised nerves, glabrescent; gland 5–17 mm above base; pulvinus indistinct, flared slightly at base. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 6–15 mm long, sparsely to moderately appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 5–6 mm diam., 55–75-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals irregularly united basally. Pods linear, raised over seeds on alternating sides, slightly constricted between seeds, strongly curved, to c. 5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide, chartaceous, glabrous, pale brown to yellow-brown. Seeds (immature) longitudinal; aril large, bright yellow.

Habitat

Grows mostly in closed Acacia scrubland in sand or sandy loam on red sandplains.

Specimens

W.A.: 36 km S of Overlander Roadhouse on North West Coastal Hwy, B.R.Maslin 2780 (CANB, K, PERTH); Towrana Stn, A.L.Payne 34 (PERTH); Kalbarri to North West Coastal Hwy, M.H.Simmons 463 (PERTH).

Notes

Similar to A. rigens which is most readily distinguished by its less pungent phyllodes with basal glands, 20–33-flowered heads and submoniliform pods 2–3 mm wide.

FOA Reference

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

Author

R.S.Cowan