Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

A poorly collected species occurring in the Kimberley region from the Isdell R. NE to the Drysdale R. area, W.A. As noted by G.J.Leach, Nuytsia 9: 353 (1994), this species has been erroneously reported as occurring in N.T.

Description

Shrub or tree 2.5–10 m high, most parts usually densely minutely stellate-velvety. Phyllodes inequilaterally ovate or elliptic, falcate, 8–15 cm long, usually (1–) 2–6 cm wide, obtuse, ±thinly coriaceous, with usually 3 or 4 distant main nerves (some confluent with lower margin near base), reticulate; gland basal, with 1–3 additional glands often in shallow notches along upper margin. Inflorescences in axillary racemes or terminal panicles; axes 3.5–6 cm long, stellate-velvety; peduncles (5–) 8–10 mm long, in fascicles of 2–4; heads globular, ±5 mm diam., c. 30‑flowered, white; bracteole apex densely yellow-puberulous. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united to near densely puberulous apex, with brown medial stripe, interconnected by translucent tissue. Pods flat, to 14.5 cm long, 2.2–3.5 cm wide, woody, coarsely reticulate-nerved, glabrous, narrowly winged. Seeds transverse, oblong, 9.5–10 mm long, dull, brown except periphery black; aril large.

Habitat

Grows on sandy river banks and hillside crevices in open forest, woodland and shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: Mitchell Plateau, J.S.Beard 8315 (CANB, PERTH); SE of Port Warrender and N of Lawley R., P.A.Fryxell, L.A.Craven & J.McD.Stewart 4771 (PERTH); Drysdale R. Natl Park, A.S.George 13453 (PERTH); Prince Regent R. Reserve, K.F.Kenneally 2034 (BRI, PERTH).

Notes

G.Bentham, Fl. Austral. 2: 391 (1864) treated A. platycarpa as a synonym of A. sericata. The two taxa are closely related and would perhaps be best treated as subspecies of a single species, but A. sericata is readily recognised by its densely minutely stellate-velvety phyllodes. Also related to A. dunnii.

See R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 81 (1995), for discussion of the binomial [Acacia ] ‘sericata Ait. (ex Loudon)’ which appears in E.G. von Steudel, Nomencl. Bot. 2nd edn., 1: 8 (1840).

Specimens from the Mitchell Plateau area differ from those elsewhere in having branchlets that are sparsely stellate-velvety (e.g. P.A.Fryxell et al. 4771) or glabrous and pruinose (e.g. J.S.Beard 8315). Two other Kimberley collections, A.S.George 12221 (CANB, MEL, PERTH) and 12582 (PERTH), are unusual in having 2-nerved phyllodes 1–1.5 cm wide.

FOA Reference

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

Author

Minor edits by J.Rogers

R.S.Cowan, B.R.Maslin