Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Scattered from near Coolgardie S to the Frank Hann Natl Park and E to near Fraser Ra., south-western W.A.

Description

Spreading much-branched glabrous shrub, to 0.7 m high. Bark light grey. Branchlets rigid, terete, not ribbed, coarsely pungent. Phyllodes mostly ±patent, terete, 7–26 mm long, c. 1 mm diam., prominently dilated at the sessile base, pungent, rigid, green, nerveless. Inflorescences mostly 2- or 3-headed rudimentary racemes with axes c. 1 mm long, enclosed by conspicuous imbricate brown bracts when young, growing out at anthesis; peduncles 5–7 mm long; heads globular, c. 8-flowered, cream; bracteoles absent. Flowers 5-merous; sepals irregularly united almost to the apices into a cupular calyx, minute; petals linear to spathulate, c. 0.2 mm wide. Pods linear, subterete, to 5 cm long, 2–3 mm wide, crustaceous, dark brown. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 3.5–4 mm long, dark brown; aril terminal, white.

Habitat

Grows in calcareous loam or sandy loam, on plains or low rocky hills, in Eucalyptus woodland or mallee communities.

Specimens

W.A.: 6.25 km due NNE of Clyde Hill, M.A.Burgman 1396 & S.McNee ( PERTH); 1 km S of Spargoville towards Norseman, Coolgardie–Esperance Hwy, B.R.Maslin 5036 (PERTH); 27 km S of Tadpole Lake, Frank Hann Natl Park, K.Newbey 5500 (CANB, PERTH); Eyre Hwy, 37 km E of Fraser Ra., 6 Sept. 1963, J.H.Willis s.n. (MEL).

Notes

Allied to A. castanostegia.

FOA Reference

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

Author

B.R.Maslin