Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from near Three Springs SE to near Mt Vernon (SE of Hyden) with a disjunct occurrence E of Geraldton, W.A.

Description

Intricate glabrous shrubs 0.2–0.7 m high. Branchlets numerous, short, divaricate, spinose, aphyllous, usually pruinose, ribbed. Phyllodes patent or somewhat reflexed, ovate to narrowly ovate, elliptic or almost oblong, 3.5–10 mm long, 2.5–5 mm wide, commonly slightly undulate, acute, mucronate, usually ±glaucous; midrib ±prominent; lateral nerves obscure. Inflorescences rudimentary normally 1-headed racemes with axes > 0.5 mm long; peduncles 3–6 mm long, recurved at base in fruit; heads globular, 3.5–4.5 mm diam., 10–14-flowered, light golden; bracteoles absent. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 3/4-united. Pods raised over seeds alternately on each side, strongly arcuate to openly 1 1/2-coiled; valves irregularly twisted upon dehiscence, to c. 4 cm long (expanded length), 3–3.5 mm wide, thinly coriaceous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 2–2.5 mm long, shiny, obscurely mottled brown; aril terminal, rather large.

Habitat

Grows in gravelly sand or loam, often on hilltops, in scrub, shrubland and eucalypt woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: 29 km due NW of Bruce Rock, B.R.Maslin 1796 (BRI, L, MEL, NSW, PERTH, RSA); c. 3 km due NW of Watheroo, B.R.Maslin 6221 (PERTH); 49 km due SE of Hyden, Pingaring–Varley road, 6 km E of Mt Vernon, B.R.Maslin 6370 (CANB, PERTH, Z); c. 25 km E of Geraldton, T. & J.Whaite 4143 (PERTH).

Notes

Related to A. spinosissima which has much narrower, differently shaped, ascending to erect, and non-pruinose phyllodes and to A. erinacea which has non-undulate, differently shaped, mostly ascending to erect phyllodes, bracteoles present in the flower-heads and broader pods with oblique seeds.

Rarely, specimens are found with green branchlets and phyllodes, rather than pruinose ones (e.g. B.R.Maslin 6221).

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 B.R.Maslin