Common Name

Derwent Cascade

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Southern Tas. where largely confined to banks of the Derwent R. and some of its lower tributaries; also ocurs, infrequently, along the Carlton and Prosser rivers and their tributaries.

Description

Shrub 1–3 (–5) m high. Branchlets slender and arching or pendulous at their extremities. Phyllodes scattered, never tightly clustered, linear to very narrowly elliptic, flat, 2–3.5 (–6.5) cm long, 1–2 (–2.5) mm wide, pungent, with 3 nerves (the central one the most prominent, the lateral two sometimes obscure); anastomosing nerves absent; gland often absent basal; pulvinus short. Inflorescences simple; peduncles (3–) 5–8 mm long; spikes interrupted, (5–) 10–25 mm long, pale yellow to almost lemon yellow; flowers 4-merous, 5–8 (–15) and widely spaced within the spike. Pods linear, curved, irregularly constricted between seeds, 2.5–3.5 (–5) cm long, 2–4 mm wide. Seeds elliptic; aril much-folded.

Specimens

Tas.: Dawson Rd crossing, Brad R., A.M.Gray 918 (HO n.v.); Tyenna R., Mill Lodge, A.M.Gray 963 (HO n.v., MEL).

Notes

Most closely related to A. riceana which differs most obviously in having phyllodes with l:w = 5–12 and often in tight fasciculate clusters of 3–6 (–10); in A. derwentiana the phyllodes have l:w = 12–20 (–40) and are seldom tightly clustered. Also related to A. axillaris which is readily distinguished by its flowers in globular heads.

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