WATTLE

Acacias of Australia

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Acacia colletioides Benth.

Common Name

Pin-bush, Spine Bush, Wait-a-while

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Widespread throughout southern Australia from near Geraldton, W.A., E through S.A. and NW Vic. to N.S.W. where it occurs S and W of the Byrock-Nyngan area and is dubiously recorded for Dubbo area.

Description

Shrub or tree 0.5–3 m high, rigid, diffuse to dense. Branchlets glabrous or sparsely appressed-puberulous and glabrescent, scarred where phyllodes have fallen. Phyllodes sessile, inserted on distinct yellow stem-projections, patent to ascending, straight to ±curved, ±terete, (1–) 1.5–3 (–4) cm long, 1–1.5 mm diam., subulate, pungent, rigid, glabrous, with 8 strongly raised lighter coloured nerves and raised stomata; gland 0–2 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 1.5–5 mm long, glabrous; basal bracts cucullate, ±semicircular; heads subglobular, often widely ellipsoid, 3–5 mm long, 3–4.5 mm diam., 12–24-flowered; bracteoles peltate. Flowers mostly 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, constricted between seeds, 1- or 2-coiled, to 7 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, thin-coriaceous, ±reticulate, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oval to ovate, 3.5–4 mm long, shiny, black; aril nearly enveloping seed, orange or yellow.

Habitat

Grows in a variety of soils, mainly in mallee scrub or open woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: 2.4 km N of Yellowdine, B.R.Maslin 1840 (BRI, PERTH, RSA, SYD). S.A.: Lake Everard Stn, A.G.Spooner 2434 (PERTH). N.S.W.: 11.1 km NW of Eubalong West on Mount Hope Rd, R.Coveny 12051 & P.Hind (A, B, BRI, MEL, MO, NSW, PERTH, TL, US). Vic.: 17.6 km W along road running W from Sunset Tank–Merrinee road, M.G.Corrick 6620 & P.Short (BRI, PERTH).

Notes

This species provides a safe nesting habitat for birds.

Closely related to A. nyssophylla. Phyllodes superficially similar to those of A. asepala. Also superficially similar to A. atrox of N.S.W, A. subsessilis of W.A. and A. enterocarpa of S.A. and Vic.

FOA Reference

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

Author

R.S.Cowan

Minor edits by B.R.Maslin & J.Reid