Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from Mt Kokeby Siding (between Beverly and Brookton) N to Morawa and Cadoux; one collection from North West Coastal Hwy N of the Murchison R. (c. 250 km NW of Three Springs), W.A.

Description

Spreading shrub or tree 1.5–3.5 m high. Branchlets appressed- to subappressed-puberulous with ±straight hairs. Phyllodes frequently patent and shallowly recurved, asymmetrically oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 2–6 cm long, 3–9 mm wide, l:w = 4–12, obliquely acute to obtuse or truncate, mucronate, thinly coriaceous, densely appressed-pubescent at first, glabrescent; midrib not prominent; glands 1–3 often on small projections of adaxial margin, lowermost 5–10 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 5–10 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 4.5–6 mm diam., 20–40-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods moniliform, arcuate to loosely and ±irregularly coiled or twisted, to c. 4 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, sparsely strigulose. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, shiny, dark brown to black; aril 1/2 to wholly enveloping seed, bright orange.

Habitat

Grows in gravelly loam, loam and clay on or near salt flats and depressions or in open eucalypt woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: near 426 m.p. [mile post] on North West Coastal Hwy, A.M.Ashby 4574 (E, MO, PERTH); S side of Cadoux, R.J.Cumming 1861 (PERTH); Wongan Hills, J.Gilbert 54 (BM, PERTH); 6.4 km W of Three Springs towards Eneabba, B.R.Maslin 3061 (K, PERTH); c. 1 km due W of Mt Kokeby Siding, B.R.Maslin 6338 (CANB, PERTH).

Notes

Generally, at least some phyllodes have more than one gland and these glands are often on slight triangular spurs; when present they are diagnostic.

Related to A. sericocarpa and A. merrallii which also have conspicuous, usually orange arils.

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