Acacia gordonii (Tindale) Pedley
WATTLE
Acacias of Australia
Common Name
Gordon’s Wattle
Family
Fabaceae
Distribution
Restricted in N.S.W. to the eastern slopes of the Blue Mtns from near Bilpin S to Linden, and near Hornsby.
Description
Spreading often straggling shrub 0.5–1.3 m high, sometimes to 2 m. Branchlets densely pubescent. Phyllodes spirally arranged to subverticillate and on prominent stem-projections, crowded, ascending to erect, straight but recurved at apex, subterete to flat, 8–15 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide, obliquely and excentrically mucronate, base cuneate to obtuse, green, sometimes asperulate, finely puberulous with ±antrorse and often tubercle-based hairs, finely longitudinally rugose when dry; nerves not evident; pulvinus hairy. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 8–15 mm long, stout, densely pubescent, ebracteate at base; heads globular, (12–) 20–25 (–34)-flowered, bright deep golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 1/2–3/4-united; glabrous or sparely hairy; petals glabrous. Pods oblong to narrowly oblong, flat, to 5 cm long, 9–15 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, blackish, glabrous, dehiscing unilaterally. Seeds transverse, elliptic, 3–4 mm long, arillate.
Habitat
Grows in sand on sandstone in dry sclerophyll forest.
Specimens
N.S.W.: Northern end of fire trail, Linden, Oct. 1964, I.Bowden s.n. (NSW); 4.8 km E of Bilpin, R.Coveny 2997 (BRI, NSW, PERTH).
Notes
Related to the more northerly A. brunioides which is recognised by its thinner, usually shorter, glabrous phyllodes with frequently only slightly upturned mucros. Also related to the more northerly distributed A. beadleana and is sometimes confused with A. baueri subsp. aspera which grows in the Blue Mtns but which is readily distinguished by its shorter peduncles, fewer-flowered heads, smaller pods and longitudinal seeds.
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 B.R.Maslin & J.Reid
B.R.Maslin
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