Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs principally in the area N and NW of Aramac in west-central Qld.

Description

Tree 3–10 m high. Bark finely fissured, dark grey. Branchlets sparsely to moderately appressed-puberulous, often ±scurfy. Phyllodes linear, straight to slightly curved, 6.5–13.5 cm long, 1–2 (–3) mm wide, acute to acuminate with shallowly curved to subuncinate tip, sparsely to moderately appressed-puberulous, with numerous closely parallel indistinct nerves. Inflorescences 1–6-headed racemes; raceme axes 1–2.5 mm long, appressed-puberulous; peduncles 2–7 mm long, appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 3.5–4 mm diam., 10–20-flowered, golden; bracteoles broadly obtrullate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united into a shortly lobed cup. Pods ±moniliform, to 4.5 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, chartaceous to very thin-crustaceous, glabrous to sparsely appressed-puberulous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic, 3–4.5 mm long, glossy brown; funicle slender; aril small.

Habitat

Grows in hard, stony, alkaline clay soil.

Specimens

Qld: ‘Loana’, 50 km SE of Hughenden, 10 Dec. 1984, J.A.Gibbs (BRI); 14.4 km N of Jardine Valley Stn, M.Lazarides & R.L.Speck 4532 (BRI, CANB).

Notes

Seems very close to the more southerly distributed A. microsperma which differs most obviously in its more numerous flowers per head, generally slightly wider phyllodes, spathulate bracteoles and narrower pods.

This species was treated as A. microcephala by R.S.Cowan and B.R.Maslin, Fl. Australia 11B: 110 (2001), however, this name is illegitimate (see above).

FOA Reference

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

Author

R.S.Cowan, B.R.Maslin

B.R.Maslin