Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered from Mogumber (c. 20 km SW of New Norcia) N to near Three Springs, south-western W.A. The specimen collected by C.A.Gardner from W of Koorda (Koorda is c. 125 km ENE of New Norcia) may be the easternmost record.

Description

Prostrate intricate shrub forming mats to 2 m across. Branchlet ribs muriculate-scabridulous. New shoots red. Stipules spinose, recurved, 2.5–4 mm long, brittle with sometimes only bases persisting. Phyllodes dimidiately elliptic to narrowly elliptic or obovate to oblanceolate, 10–25 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, slightly undulate, pungent with slender cusp, green or subglaucous, glabrous or subglabrous except margins muriculate-scabridulous; midrib near abaxial margin; lateral nerves few and obscure. Inflorescences rudimentary normally 1-headed racemes with axes 0.5–1 mm long which sometimes grow out; peduncles 6–17 mm long, sometimes red, glabrous or finely and minutely hirsutellous with patent or appressed hairs; bract sometimes present above middle; heads globular or slightly obloid, normally 27–39-flowered, light golden to mid-golden; buds red. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 0.7–1 mm long, c. ½ length of petals, free. Pods and seeds not seen.

Phenology

Flowers Aug.–Jan.

Habitat

Grows on laterite hills in Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo) woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: 8 km E of Three Springs, Oct. 1972, C.Chapman s.n. (AD, NSW, PERTH); W of Koorda, Jan. 1940, C.A.Gardner s.n. (PERTH); c. 5 km due NNW of Mogumber, B.R.Maslin 4180 (PERTH).

Notes

Probably related to A. congesta which has a more erect habit and lacks the red flower buds, new shoots and peduncles, and muriculate-scabridulous branchlet ribs and phyllode margins of A. aculeiformis. Possibly allied to A. muriculata; sometimes confused with A. semicircinalis which has non-spinose stipules and differently shaped phyllodes.

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

B.R.Maslin