Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Extending from near Wagin to S of the Stirling Ra. at Kamballup, E to near the Oldfield R., c. 56 km ENE of Ravensthorpe, south-western W.A.

Description

Rigid semi-prostrate to erect compact or spreading shrub, to 0.7 m high and 2 m diam. Branchlets short, straight, patent to erect, ±striate, spinescent, green, glabrous or hirtellous. Phyllodes linear to asymmetrically oblanceolate, 5–13 mm long, 1–2.5 mm wide, excentrically mucronulate at the often rounded sometimes uncinate apex, green, glabrous or hirtellous, 1-nerved; lateral nerves few, obscure and trending longitudinally; gland inconspicuous, 1–2 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes < 0.5 mm long; peduncles 4–7 (–9) mm long, slender, glabrous; basal bracts brown; heads globular, 2.5–3 mm diam., 6–9-flowered, lemon yellow or golden; bracteoles usually absent. Flowers 5-merous; calyx united, often ±truncate. Pods strongly arcuate to coiled, c. 1 cm long (unexpanded), with valves c. 3 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, ovate, c. 3 mm long, semi-shiny, black; aril linear-clavate.

Habitat

Grows in rocky or sandy clay, sandy loam or loam in mallee scrub.

Specimens

W.A.: near Lake Wagin, 1890, M.Cronin s.n. (NSW); Stirling Ra., Red Gum Pass, B.R.Maslin 4007 (PERTH); 17.6 km SE of Jerramungup, K.Newbey 1300 (PERTH); 38.5 km E of Albany towards Jerramungup, S.Paust 506 (PERTH); 56 km ENE of Ravensthorpe, J.Taylor 757 et al. (PERTH).

Notes

Similar to A. pulviniformis which forms dense, intricate mats and has obscurely ribbed to ribless branchlets and semi-terete to compressed, narrower phyllodes. Superficially similar to A. spinescens (S.A., Vic.) which usually has ±sessile flower-heads and conspicuous bracteoles. Phyllodes of some forms resemble A. imparilis.

FOA Reference

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

Author

Minor edits by J.Rogers

B.R.Maslin