Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from Perth to Bridgetown, and Albany to Denmark, south-western W.A.

Description

Erect multistemmed subshrub 0.2–0.4 m high, sometimes procumbent. Stems angled, glabrous to sparsely appressed-puberulous, ±tomentulose in phyllode axils, slightly scabridulous. Stipules 1–3 mm long. Phyllodes continuous with branchlets, trifariously decurrent and forming very narrow wings to 1 mm wide; free portion of phyllodes linear to linear-lanceolate, commonly patent and shallowly incurved, sometimes straight or recurved, 10–50 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, acuminate, pungent, rigid, with indumentum as on branchlets; midrib prominent; gland not prominent, 1–6 mm above base. Inflorescences simple; heads sessile, globular, 6–11-flowered, bright yellow. Flowers 4-merous; sepals united, 1/4–1/3 length of petals, dark brown; petals obscurely 1-nerved. Pods terete, to c. 7 cm long, 2–3 mm diam., crustaceous, reddish, longitudinally nerved, appressed-puberulous, recurved upon dehiscence. Seeds not seen.

Habitat

Grows in sand or clay loam, in swamps or winter-wet areas, in open woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: 7 km SE of Yornup, G.J.Keighery 3991 (PERTH); Yoongarillup, between Busselton and Nannup, G.J.Keighery 7797 (PERTH); 24 km W of Denmark, B.R.Maslin 2942 (CANB, PERTH); In arenosis apertis inter frutices densos haud longe a villa col. Erwin [Middle Swan, Perth], L.Preiss 990 (C, CGE—sphalm. ‘244’, FI, G, GOET, HBG, K, L, LUND, M, MO, NAP, NY, P, STR, TCD—sphalm. ‘244’, W).

Notes

Specimens with the shortest phyllodes, including the type of A. brachyptera, occur in the Albany to Denmark area. Herbarium specimens can be confused with short phyllode forms of A. trigonophylla which are distinguished by their taller stature, pedunculate 28–32-flowered heads, 5-merous flowers and submoniliform pods.

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