Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered distribution within 100 km of the S coast from near Jerramungup, W.A. E to far western S.A. near Eucla.

Description

Shrub 0.3–1.3 m high. Stipules caducous or if persistent then 3–5 mm long. Phyllodes narrowly linear, flat to subterete or obtusely pentagonal, 2–4.5 (–6) cm long, 1–2 mm wide, l:w = 12–30; adaxial nerves free to apex, rarely coalescing; gland 7–15 mm above pulvinus. Peduncles 5–18 mm long.

Habitat

Grows in calcareous loam or sand with clay, sometimes with limestone nodules, in low open woodland or open shrub mallee.

Specimens

W.A.: Twilight Cove, Great Australian Bight, A.S.George 8566 (PERTH); 24 km NNE of Jerramungup, K.Newbey 4818 (G, K, NSW, NY, PERTH). S.A.: 3.5 km E of W.A.–S.A. border [on the Eyre Hwy], R.J.Chinnock 3346 (AD, PERTH).

Notes

Resembling A. gonophylla; also similar to A. pachyphylla which has dimorphic, 4-nerved phyllodes, solitary, larger heads with more flowers and much wider, hard, bony pods. Acacia quinquenervia has similar phyllodes except that they are obviously hairy (at least when young) and has normally densely hairy branchlets, simple inflorescences and mottled seeds. Acacia pinguifolia (S.A.) superficially resembles this subspecies.

Two variants are recognised and may upon further study be shown to be distinct taxa: in the western part of the range (including the type) most specimens have persistent stipules and flower-heads (6–) 7–8 mm diam. at anthesis; specimens from farther east have mostly caducous stipules and slightly smaller flower-heads (5–6 mm diam.).

FOA Reference

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

Author

Minor edits by J.Reid & J.Rogers

B.R.Maslin