Common Name

Guinet’s Wattle

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to between Geraldton and Northampton, south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub 0.3–1 m high, spreading, or spindly and to c. 2 m high. Branchlets commonly arching downward, villous. Pinnae 1 pair, 4–10 mm long; petiole 1–1.5 mm long; pinnules normally 3 or 4 pairs and 4–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, recurved to revolute, green, puberulous to finely hirsutellous; gland on petiole at base of pinnae, ±sessile, often also on pinna-rachae at base of lowermost pair of pinnules. Inflorescences rudimentary 1–2-headed racemes with axes c. 1 mm long; peduncles 10–25 mm long, commonly greatly exceeding the leaves, pubescent; heads globular, densely 50–75-flowered, golden; bracteoles short-acuminate. Flowers 5-merous, narrowly turbinate; sepals 2/3–3/4-united. Pods 2–4 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, glabrous or villous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 2.5–3 mm long.

Habitat

Grows on lateritic hills in heath.

Specimens

W.A.: Moresby Ra., A.M.Ashby 4587 (PERTH); NNE of Geraldton, R.Coveny 3062 (CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. pulchella group’ and most closely resembling spineless individuals of A. lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa but distinguished by heads 50–75-flowered, peduncles 10–25 mm long and pinnules 4–7 mm long and moderately to densely hairy.

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