Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted an area near Herberton and in the Paluma Ra., north-eastern Qld.

Description

Shrub to 1 m high. Branchlets pilose, somewhat viscid. Stipules 1–2 mm long. Phyllodes 15–27 per whorl, ±terete at base, 10–25 mm long, gently incurved from base, abruptly contracted at apex into mucro c. 1–1.5 mm long, pilose. Peduncles usually exceeding phyllodes, 15–45 mm long, viscid. Heads 25–40-flowered, slightly elongated. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 1.2 mm long; calyx lobes linear to narrowly triangular, acute or acuminate, 0.4–0.6 mm long, with a few long hairs on back; corolla lobes smooth, sparsely hairy. Pods sessile, linear, curved, 20–40 mm long, 6–8 mm wide, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, depressed-globular, 4 mm long; pleurogram obscure.

Habitat

Grows on shallow sandy and rocky soils, in open forest.

Specimens

Qld: Irvinebank, Bennett (BRI); Herberton, June 1906, Ringrose (BRI); Paluma Ra. on Ewan road, Mar. 1968, Wyatt 18 (BRI); Jumna Ck, between Herberton and Irvinebank, 1 June 1972, J.Wrigley & I.R.Telford (CANB).

Notes

A distinctive species with long phyllodes and peduncles. For a study of the arrangement and development of the phyllodes of this species see R.Rutishauser & R.Sattler, Canad. J. Bot. 64: 1987–2019 (1986). A collection from 100 km S of Elliott, N.T., P.E.Conrick 1165 (AD, PERTH), resembles this species but has a shorter mucro (0.2–0.3 mm) a pilose non-viscid peduncle, longer bracteoles (3 mm) and pilose corolla lobes. It represents a substantial extension of range, if indeed it is this species.

FOA Reference

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

Author

A.S.George