Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Poorly collected and restricted to the Bendering-Ardath, Cuballing-Harrismith and Manmanning areas in south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub 0.15–2 m high. Branchlets puberulous (hairs ±patent). Phyllodes deflexed or patent becoming deflexed, broadly elliptic, elliptic or narrowly oblong, straight or slightly curved, 6–18 (–20) mm long, 2–5 mm wide, mucronate, commonly centrically so, often ±concave on one face, thick, coriaceous, subappressed-villous especially on nerves, glabrescent, with 3 prominent distant nerves on each face; gland basal. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles (2–) 3.5–5 mm long, densely puberulous; basal bract caducous, cucullate, oblate, ±nerveless; heads globular, 3–3.5 mm diam., 10–16-flowered, pale golden. Flowers 5‑merous; sepals free. Pods linear, raised over seeds, strongly curved, to 4.5 cm long, 2–2.5 mm wide, chartaceous, sparingly pilose. Seeds longitudinal, broadly elliptic, 2-2.5 mm long, dull, brown, ±mottled; aril subapical.

Habitat

Grows in heath and low scrub on open plains, in yellow to yellow-brown sand or sandy loam.

Specimens

W.A.: 12 km E of Bendering, C.A.Gardner 13606 (PERTH); 8 km NNE of Cuballing, G.Keighery 9289 (PERTH); 35 km due NE of Corrigin, B.R.Maslin 5760 (AD, K, MEL, PERTH); Ward Road Reserve 23156, SE corner near Ward Rd, S of Manmanning, E of Wongan Hills, S.Patrick & L.Polomka SP 3933 (PERTH).

Notes

Phyllodes of specimens from the most southerly part of the range (Toolibin, Cuballing and Wickepin) are somewhat longer and more oblong than those of the Corrigin-Bendering area. Closely related to A. gemina; the two species are perhaps nearest the A. nitidula –A. dura part of the ‘A. sulcata group’.

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