Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs in a restricted area between Jurien (c. 200 km NW of Perth) and Eneabba (c. 60 km NE of Jurien), south-western W.A.

Description

Open broom-like shrub to 0.6 m high. Branches terete, striate, green except for the prominent yellow ribs, mostly glabrous. Stipules narrowly triangular to narrowly oblong, 1.5–3 mm long. Phyllodes few and distant, continuous with branches, rudimentary and commonly comprising minute stipule-like appendages 0.5–1 mm long, sometimes expanded to subterete to compressed mucronate phyllodes 1–2 mm long. Inflorescences simple, mostly 1 per axil; peduncles 2–5 mm long, ±appressed tomentose-pubescent; heads globular, 8 mm diam., subdensely 13–14-flowered; bracteoles tomentose; buds obovate-apiculate. Flowers mostly 5-merous; sepals free to c. 1/4-united, oblong, with tomentose margins; petals flabellate-striate. Pods linear, curved, to 10 cm long, c. 4 mm wide, acuminate, crustaceous to subwoody, ±quadrangular by prominent flat or shallowly convex margins 2 mm wide, glabrous or appressed-puberulous. Seeds (slightly immature) longitudinal, oblong, 5 mm long; aril terminal, conical.

Habitat

Grows in lateritic gravel or sandy gravel in low heath.

Specimens

W.A.: [Cockleshell Gully area], C.Chapman s.n., 23 Oct. 1977 (MEL, PERTH); 1 km ENE of Mt Peron, NE of Jurien, E.A.Griffin 2437 (PERTH); Gairdner Ra., NW of Mt Peron, B.R.Maslin 6573 (PERTH).

Notes

Resembling short peduncle forms of A. cummingiana which are readily distinguished by their 4-merous flowers. Formerly confused with A. volubilis, a possibly extinct species distinguished by its tortuous branchlets, recurved, subspinose stipules c. 0.5 mm long, better developed and normally longer phyllodes and calyx dissected to c. 1/2 its length.

FOA Reference

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

Author

B.R.Maslin