Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from near Dunn Swamp (75 km NE of Ravensthorpe) and Kumarl E to Cape Arid Natl Park, also near Spargoville, south-western W.A.

Description

Shrub commonly 0.2–0.5 (–1) m high. Branches light grey, scarred where phyllodes have fallen. Branchlets hirsute-hirsutellous to puberulous. Stipules often ±spinose, c. 2 mm long, slender, straight. Phyllodes somewhat crowded, subsessile, normally ±patent, terete to compressed, 4–10 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, pungent, often narrowed towards apex, rigid, green, glabrous or sparsely hirsutellous, normally medially sulcate upon drying; nerves rarely evident. Inflorescences rudimentary 1- or 2-headed racemes with axes > 0.5 mm long; peduncles 7–14 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 16–23-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united or divided to base. Pods linear to narrowly oblong, to c. 10 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, ±black, with a yellowish medial stripe internally, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, 4.5–6.5 mm long, oblong-elliptic, dull, light brown; aril terminal, conical.

Habitat

Usually grows in sand over clay in eucalypt woodland and shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: c. 24 km SW of Mt Ragged, A.S.George 7390 (PERTH); just S of Spargoville, 372 mile post on Coolgardie–Esperance Hwy, A.Kessell 336 (PERTH); Salmon Gums, B.R.Maslin 5530 (PERTH).

Notes

Probably related to A. xerophila which has larger, flat phyllodes with an obvious midrib.

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