Acacia triptera Benth.
WATTLE
Acacias of Australia
Common Name
Spur-wing Wattle
Family
Fabaceae
Distribution
Widespread in central and southern Qld and central N.S.W., usually occurring W of the Great Dividing Ra. An isolated occurrence occurs in the Warby Ra. near Wangaratta in north-eastern Vic.
Description
Shrub or tree to 4.5 m high, 7 m across, spreading, twisted. Stipules setaceous, < 0.5 mm long or obscure. Phyllodes decurrent along branches for 1–2 cm, spur-like or falcate, 1.5–5.5 cm long, and (2–) 5–10 mm wide, pungent, flat, rigid; nerves numerous, fine, ±parallel but occasionally adjacent nerves coalescing with one another; gland small, basal or to 6 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences with peduncles 2–6 mm long, glabrous; spikes 7–30 mm long. Flowers loose or occasionally compact, 4-merous, bright yellow; sepals united. Pods linear, compressed, hardly constricted between seeds; arcuate, 2.5–8 cm long and 2–4 mm wide; valves thin but not chartaceous. Seeds ovate or elliptic, 3–4 mm long, deep reddish brown or sometimes almost black; funicle filamentous and mostly straight for c. 2 mm and then much folded and thickened into a turbinate aril.
Phenology
Usually flowers from Aug.–Nov. and fruits Nov.–Jan., rarely later.
Habitat
Grows on sandy plains or in skeletal soils on rocky escarpments and sometimes forming extensive and impenetrable thickets in open eucalypt woodland.
Specimens
Qld: near ‘Pelham’ NW of Chinchilla, S.T.Blake 18212 (K, MEL). N.S.W.: Howell, K.Thurtell & R.Coveny 3921 (CANB, MEL, NSW); 5.5 miles [9 km] from Nymagee on the Cobar rd, C.W.E.Moore 4502 (MEL); 3 miles [4.8 km] W of Gungal, 28 Sept. 1968, A.N.Rodd 2190 (NSW). Vic.: Warby Ra. near Wangaratta, Oct. 1948, W.J.Zimmer s.n. (MEL).
Notes
The affinities of this species are unknown: it differs widely from all other species of Acacia by having 4-merous flowers and broadly decurrent phyllodes and it is easily distinguished by these characters.
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 B.R.Maslin, J.Reid & J.Rogers
A.B.Court
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