Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Confined to far south-eastern N.S.W., southern Vic. in forests and woodlands usually south of the Great Dividing Ra. and in north-central Tas.

Description

Shrub or small tree to 5 m high. Phyllodes narrowly linear to narrowly elliptic, sometimes linear-oblanceolate, mostly (8–) 9–20 mm long, (1–) 2–8 (–12) mm wide, acute or sometimes obtuse, with (1–) 3–4 (–7) longitudinal nerves, the central one often the most prominent; anastomoses absent or few; gland (3–) 6–25 (–32) mm above pulvinus, lamina sometimes slightly kinked at the gland.

Phenology

Flowers Aug.–Oct. but fruiting has been noted only twice (Mar. and Dec.).

Specimens

N.S.W.: on the Princes Hwy 4.8 km N of Timbilica and 40.2 km S of Eden, R.Coveny 2929 (BRI, MEL, NSW); near Goat Ck on Hwy 1, F.Bienvenue 27 (CANB). Vic.: Jimmy Ck, 21 km S of Halls Gap, The Grampians, H.Streimann 3142 (CANB); near Gladysdale, M.E.Phillips 50 (CANB, MEL). Tas.: between Asbestos Ra. and Flowers Hill, F.E.Davies 1049 & P.Ollerenshaw (CANB); Holwell Rd, W of Beaconsfield, J.G. & M.H.Simmons 4152 (MEL).

Notes

Presumptive hybrids between A. oxycedrus and A. mucronata var. longifolia are known (see A. oxycedrus).

Specimens of A. mucronata subsp. longifolia from N.S.W. and Vic. with narrow phyllodes may resemble A. longissima and those with broad phyllodes may resemble A. floribunda, but both these species lack phyllode glands (gland present on some or all phyllodes in A. mucronata subsp. longifolia). Acacia longissima is further recognized by its generally longer and often glabrous peduncles and its normally glabrous receptacles. In Vic. phyllodes of subsp. longifolia are normally about 9 cm long or longer, only rarely are they shorter (to 6 cm).

With the exception of a few specimens in Tas. subsp. longifolia is distinguished from the other two subspecies of A. mucronata by the presence of a gland near the base of the phyllodes. Furthermore, in Tas. the long and narrow phyllodes (6–14 cm x 1–3 mm with l:w = (25) 30–80 (130)) normally distinguish subsp. longifolia from the other two subspecies.

FOA Reference

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

Author

A.B.Court