Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from N of Bindoon S to Whicher Ra. (near Busselton) with a single collection from near Albany, south-western W.A.

Description

Prostrate or semi-prostrate shrub, multistemmed from a lignotuber. Branchlets usually pilose and hirsutellous admixed. Stipules oblong to widely ovate. Pinnae 2 or 3 pairs, 3–7 mm long (proximal pinnae), 7–20 mm long (distal pinnae); petiole normally 1–2 mm long; rachis 3–10 mm long; pinnules 2 or 3 pairs (proximal pinnae), 3–7 pairs (distal pinnae), 4–6 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, revolute, hirsutellous to shortly pilose; gland on rachis commonly midway between pinnae, sessile, not prominent. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 15–25 mm long, usually pilose; heads globular, 20–28-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 3/4-united; petals striate, hirsutellous at apex. Pods 2–5 cm long, 6 mm wide, glabrous or pilose. Seeds (few seen, immature) ±longitudinal; aril narrowly clavate, ±as long as seed.

Habitat

Grows in laterite or sand over laterite in Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) and Wandoo (E. wandoo) forest.

Specimens

W.A.: near Albany, Dec. 1927, W.E.Blackall s.n. (PERTH); between Bindoon and New Norcia on Great Northern Hwy, B.R.Maslin 5300 (MELU, MO, PERTH).

Notes

Easily distinguished from A. tayloriana by its revolute pinnules and striate petals. Affinities of these two summer-flowering, prostrate species to other members of sect. Pulchellae are not clear, fide, P.Guinet et al., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 80: 53–68 (1980).

A glabrous variant occurs with typical A. preissiana at Mt Talbot, near York (e.g. 23 Jan. 1924, O.H.Sargent, CANB, K, PERTH).

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