Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Endemic in Vic. where it occurs in the Grampian Ra. and about 50 km to the E, from the Pyrenees Ra. to the W Avoca.

Description

Spindly shrub 1.5–3 m tall. Phyllodes (40–) 50–90 (–120) mm long, (10–) 15–20 (–30) mm wide; with 2 longitudinal nerves of ±equal prominence; lateral nerves fine but reasonably evident when dry; gland 0–1 mm above the pulvinus, circular or elongated. Peduncles 2–4 (–5) mm long, often obscured by stamens at anthesis so that the heads superficially look sessile, densely puberulous-tomentulose with somewhat matted, ±appressed to widely spreading, straight to shallowly curved or sub-crisped hairs; basal peduncular bract caducous; heads large (8–10 mm when dry), (30–) 35–45-flowered; bracteoles visible (but not prominent) in mature buds, usually lanceolate, c. 2 mm long (exceeding the calyx but slightly shorter than the corolla), the laminae usually distinctly acuminate and longer than the claws.

Phenology

Flowers Aug.–Nov.; fruits Jan.–Feb.

Habitat

Grows in steep mountainous country in eucalypt forest, and forms a series of small disjunct populations; occurs in clay soils over sandstone or shale.

Specimens

Vic.: about 12 km W of Avoca P.O., A.C. Beauglehole 50246 (BRI, MEL); Mt William Rd, c. 4 km towards summit from Grampians Road, A. Paget 2549 (MEL – bracteoles smaller than normal); 5.6 km from Mt William car park, P.G. Neish 88 & A.M. Muasya (MEL, MELU).

Notes

Minor variation in bracteole morphology and phyllode apex shape are discussed in B.R.Maslin & D.Murphy, Muelleria 27: 209 (2009). May superficially resemble the fourth variant of var. graveolens from the Kinglake–Marysville which are distinguished most readily by phyllode glands which are normally 2–4 mm above the pulvinus.

FOA Reference

Flora of Australia Project

Author

B.R.Maslin