Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from Ballidu to Latham, south-western W.A.

Description

Much-branched often straggly shrub to 1.3 m high, glabrous. Ultimate branchlets patent to ascending, short, rigid, straight, somewhat spinose, commonly lightly pruinose. Phyllodes ±sessile, dimidiate, with adaxial margin conspicuously rounded with its proximal edge ±parallel to branchlet and its distal edge variably crenulate-erose, 5–10 mm long, 3–10 mm wide, pungent with a 1.5–3 mm long cusp, glaucous to subglaucous; midrib near lower margin; minor nerves normally branched and running into adaxial margin. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes to 0.5 mm long; peduncles 4–8 mm long; basal bracts 2, variably persistent; heads globular, 18–22-flowered, golden; bracteoles obtuse, overtopping flowers in buds. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 2/3-united. Pods narrowly oblong, to 4 cm long, 4–6 mm wide, undulate. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic, c. 3 mm long, mottled; aril waxy dull yellow.

Habitat

Grows in often gravelly sand or loam, in open heath or Eucalyptus woodland.

Specimens

W.A.: Ballidu, R.T.Lange 55 (PERTH); 5 km S of Wubin towards Dalwallinu, B.R.Maslin 3369 (PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. pravifolia group’, near A. flabellifolia which has hirsutellous to puberulous branchlets, non-glaucous phyllodes and coiled pods. Superficially resembles A. rendlei.

FOA Reference

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

Author

Minor edits by J.Rogers

B.R.Maslin