Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to the Gibraltar Ra. Natl Park, N.S.W. where it is known only from a few populations of c. 100 plants each.

Description

Spreading, lignotuberous shrub 0.4–2.5 m high. Branchlets densely pilose. Phyllodes crowded, scattered or some irregularly clustered or sub-whorled, on raised stem-projections, straight to recurved, flat, 5–13 mm long, 0.6–1.4 mm wide, acute to shortly acuminate with a straight to oblique or hooked mucro, base cuneate, sparsely pilose with the hairs mostly restricted to the abaxial margin, irregularly finely rugose when dry; nerves not or scarcely evident when dry; pulvinus sparsely hairy, sometimes glabrous. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 6–16 mm long, densely pilose, ebracteate at base; heads globular, 32–46-flowered, bright golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals >2/3 united, hairy; petals sparsely hairy. Pods oblong, 2–6 cm long, mostly 7–10.5 mm wide, coriaceous, dark brown, glabrous. Seeds transverse, oblong or ovate, 4–5 mm long, arillate.

Phenology

Flowers in all months of the year with peak anthesis in Dec.–Jan.

Habitat

Grows in sandy soils over or near granite in Eucalyptus woodland and heath.

Specimens

N.S.W.: Gibraltar Ra. Natl Park [precise localities withheld for conservation purposes], T.Tame 4992 (NE, NSW), J.J.Bruhl 1757, J.B.Williams & R.H.Jones (AD, BRI, CANB, CHR, MEL, NE, NSW, NY) and J.J.Bruhl 1508, F.C.Quinn & J.B.Williams (BRI, CANB, NE, NSW).

Notes

Published since the Flora of Australia treatment and in use in the Australian Plant Census.

Related to A. gordonii and A. brunioides subsp. brunioides which are most readily distinguished by their glabrous or sparsely hairy sepals and petals, and fewer flowered heads. Acacia gordonii grows on sandstone considerably to the S of where A. beadleana occurs and is further recognized by its phyllode indumentum which covers the entire lamina. Acacia brunioides subsp. brunioides, like A. beadleana, grows in the Gibraltar Ra. but they are not known to be sympatric; additional to the characters already noted subsp. brunioides is recognized by its ±terete phyllodes and paler-coloured heads.

FOA Reference

Flora of Australia Project: Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W 127: 6, fig. 1 & 2 (2006)

Author

Revised by J.Reid & B.R.Maslin