Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from near Kalannie, Mt Churchman (c. 195 km due NW of Southern Cross) and Walyahmoning Rock (c. 85 km due NW of Southern Cross) S to Mt Walker (c. 35 km E of Narembeen), south-western W.A.

Description

Intricate spreading glabrous shrub 1–3 m high. Young branchlets, phyllodes and peduncles with scattered, dark brown, ±circular, flat, resin papillae. Branchlets slightly to moderately flexuose. Stipule bases persistent, indurate. Phyllodes sessile, not easily separated from branchlets, linear, curved to sinuous, flat to subquadrangular, mostly (6-) 9–15 (-28) cm long, 1–3 mm wide, acute, ±coriaceous, 4- or 5-nerved in all, with 1 nerve per face when flat, with nerves sparingly tuberculate; gland (2–) 5-8 mm above base, sometimes absent. Inflorescences 7–12-headed racemes, sometimes growing out with subsequent inflorescences appearing simple; raceme axes 1–5.5 cm long; peduncles 2 or 3 per node along raceme axis or in phyllode axils, 6–25 mm long, with bract 1–2 mm long near or above middle, ebracteate at base; heads globular to widely ellipsoid, 4.5–5 mm diam., 35–40-flowered, golden. Flowers 5‑merous; sepals free. Pods linear, to 8 cm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, broadly elliptic, 2.5–3.5 mm long, semi-glossy, grey-brown, sometimes mottled; aril thick, folded.

Habitat

Grows in sand, sandy clay or loam on soil aprons on and at the base of granite outcrops, sometimes in scrub or shrubland in semi-arid areas.

Specimens

W.A.: near summit of Mt Churchman, B.J.Conn 2280 (MEL, NSW, PERTH, TL); Muntadgin Rock, c. 3.2 km E of Muntadgin, B.R.Maslin 1819 (AD, BRI, NSW, PERTH); Walyahmoning Rock, c. 60 km NW of Bullfinch, K.Newbey 9558 (MO, PERTH); Roe Dam just N of Mt Walker, J.G. & M.H.Simmons 1311 (PERTH).

Notes

Most closely allied to A. dentifera which has straight branchlets, generally wider phyllodes with an obvious pulvinus, and less persistent, shorter bracts on the peduncles. Also related to A. tuberculata.

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

Minor edits by J.Rogers