Acacia strongylophylla F.Muell.
Acacia strongylophylla F.Muell.
Round-leaf Wattle, Wait-a-while Wattle, Skeleton Wattle
Fabaceae
Occurs primarily in the rocky ranges of central Australia from the Rawlinson and Tomkinson Ra., W.A., E to the Atnarpa Ra., N.T., and S to the Birksgate and Everard Ranges, S.A.; also occurs in the Dajarra area, S of Mount Isa, Qld.
Straggly glabrous shrub 1–4 m high. Branchlets sometimes pruinose. Stipules spinose, 3–10 mm long. Phyllodes ±transversely rhombic to widely ovate or almost orbicular, (0.8–) 1–2.5 cm long, (0.8–) 1–3 cm wide, pungent by slender cusp 1–4 mm long, green to subglaucous, with prominent and central midrib, penninerved; minor nerves ultimately anastomosing. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil, sometimes falsely racemose at ends of branchlets due to phyllode reduction; peduncles 1–3.5 cm long; heads globular, densely 40–50-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free, linear-spathulate. Pods narrowly oblong, rounded over seeds along the midline, to 8 cm long, 10–12 mm wide, ±chartaceous. Seeds transverse, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 4–5 mm long, slightly shiny, dark brown to blackish; aril not well developed.
Grows in shallow red soil on rocky slopes, in valleys and near watercourses, in tall shrubland with Acacia and Eucalyptus spp.
W.A.: Glen Cumming, Rawlinson Ra., A.S.George 8829 (MEL, PERTH, TLF). N.T.: Standley Chasm, Macdonnell Ra., A.E.Orchard 808 (PERTH). S.A.: Victory Well, c. 15 km W of Everard Park HS, G.C.Cornwall 193 (AD). Qld: Ardmore, c. 5 km S of HS, 33.5 km W of Dajarra, L.Pedley 1353 (BRI).
Distinguished most readily from other members of the ‘A. pyrifolia group’ by its non-racemose inflorescences (although sometimes falsely racemose at ends of branchlets due to phyllode reduction).
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia
B.R.Maslin
Minor edits by J.Rogers
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