Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to NW of Northampton, W.A.

Description

Dense rounded spreading shrub 1–2 m high. New growth resinous. Branchlets ±angled when young, soon terete, glabrous. Phyllodes ascending to erect, linear-oblanceolate, straight to shallowly incurved, 3.5–7.5 cm long, 3–6 mm wide, obtuse and apiculate, coriaceous, glabrous, with 6–10 distant impressed nerves per face. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 5–10 mm long, glabrous or subglabrous; heads subglobular to obloid, 5.5–6 mm long, 4.5 mm diam., 33–45-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear to submoniliform, straight to slightly curved, to 5 cm long, 1.5 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, appressed-puberulous, resinous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, 3 mm long, semi-glossy, black; aril apical.

Habitat

Grows in clay, sometimes along saline creeklines, in mixed scrub and shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: NW of Northampton, P.C.Ryan 34 (CANB, K, PERTH).

Notes

Related to A. sclerophylla which differs in generally shorter phyllodes and few-flowered globular heads. Superficially similar to A. lanei which has resinous, white-sericeous branchlets and peduncles and globular heads. Less close to A. spongolitica which has resinous branchlets, racemose heads and tetramerous flowers with partially united sepals.

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