Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

An uncommon species from Hinchinbrook Is. and nearby coastal areas near Ingham, Qld.

Description

Spindly glabrous shrub to 5 m high. New shoots pink. Branchlets flattened towards extremities. Phyllodes lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 6–10 (–12) cm long, 9–15 (–20) mm wide, acute or obtuse, thin, with 3 prominent, longitudinal main nerves; minor nerves few, inconspicuous and sparingly longitudinally anastomosing; gland prominent, 2–6 mm above base. Inflorescences simple or rudimentary racemes with axes c. 1 mm long, 2–5 per axil; peduncles 8–15 mm long; basal bract persistent; heads globular, 20–30-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods flat, alternately rounded over seeds and scarcely constricted between them, to 10 cm long, 8–10 mm wide, coriaceous, pruinose; margins thickened. Seeds longitudinal, subcircular, subflat, 4–5 mm long, dull, black; funicle/aril 1/2–3/4 encircling seed, dark coloured.

Phenology

It appears as though this species flowers around Nov.–Dec.

Habitat

Grows in sandy soil mainly along streams in eucalypt woodland.

Specimens

Qld: 15 km N of Ingham, L.Pedley 2600 (A, BISH, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, MEXU); Zoe Bay, Hinchinbrook Is., J.G.Tracey 15484 (BRI).

Notes

Related to A. complanata which is most readily distinguished by its phyllodes with 7–9 main longitudinal nerves and heads 35–45 (–60)-flowered. Acacia homaloclada has similar phyllodes and flowers to those of A. racospermoides.

FOA Reference

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

Author

R.S.Cowan, B.R.Maslin