Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to the area between the Fitzgerald and Young Rivers, south-western W.A. with an outlier near Boxwood Hill, c. 100 km WSW of Fitzgerald R.

Description

Glabrous spreading shrub 0.1–0.5 (-1) m, high. Branchlets brownish red, sometimes shiny. Stipules persistent, narrowly triangular, 1.5–2 mm long. Phyllodes erect, straight or weakly curved, terete, 1–2 (–5) cm long, 1–1.5 mm diam., obtuse-mucronulate, rigid, dark green, with 8 distant raised nerves; stomata raised; gland inconspicuous, 4–10 mm above pulvinus at junction of 2 adaxial nerves. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 7–12 mm long; basal bracts rostriform; heads globular, ±3–4 mm diam., 20‑flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods narrowly oblong, undulate, to 2.5 cm long, 3 mm wide, coriaceous, somewhat shiny. Seeds longitudinal, ovate or widely elliptic, 2–2.5 mm long, subglossy, brown; aril subterminal.

Habitat

Grows in rocky sand, rocky loam or sandy clay, in open mallee, dense low heath and open dwarf scrub.

Specimens

W.A.: 28.5 km E of Muckinwobert Rock, M.A.Burgman 4008 (PERTH); Bandalup Ck, F.Lulllfitz 5492 (PERTH); Thumb Peak, B.R.Maslin 5552 (BM, PERTH); 36 km SSE of Ongerup, N.Stevens KRN 9518-1 (MELU, PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. sulcata group’ and most nearly related to A. sulcata which has 6- or 7-nerved phyllodes, caducous stipules, heads with 10–15 flowers and commonly mottled seeds.

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

Minor edits by J.Reid