Common Name

Mountain Wattle

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to the margins of rainforests in south-eastern Qld and north-eastern N.S.W.

Description

Tree to 30 m high. Branchlets glabrous but occasionally sparsely appressed-hairy at extremities. Stipules obscure or absent. Phyllodes linear to narrowly elliptic, straight to falcate, (7–) 10–20 cm long, 4–8 (–11) mm wide, with apex acute to acuminate, and often curved, thin and pliable, dark green, with 6–9 sparingly anastomosing nerves (1–3 more clearly defined than the others), anastomoses present but not especially numerous; marginal nerves conspicuous and yellow; gland small, 2–5 (–8) mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences with peduncles 2–3 (–6) mm long and glabrous; receptacles glabrous; spikes commonly paired, 3–6 cm long; bracteoles shortly stipitate, peltate-cupular, c. 0.5 mm long, minutely fringed. Flowers loosely packed, 4-merous, cream to pale yellow; sepals united. Pods linear, slightly constricted between seeds, mostly straight, 3–10 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, thinly crustaceous, glabrous. Seeds narrowly elliptic, 3.5–4.5 mm long; funicle thick, folded once or twice; aril turbinate.

Phenology

Flowers Aug.–Sept. and fruits during Nov.

Notes

A member of the ‘A. longifolia group’; superficially similar to A. longissima but distinguished by its tall tree habit, thin, pliable and broader phyllodes, presence of phyllode gland and often shorter peduncles.

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