Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from Yarloop S to Collie and the Whicher Ra., south-western W.A.

Description

Erect shrub 0.3–0.5 m high, sometimes taller. Branches orange-brown. Branchlets antrorsely puberulous, with hairs often appressed. Stipules narrowly triangular, sometimes setaceous, 1–2 mm long, spreading, often incurved. Phyllodes patent, sometimes reflexed, narrowly semi-trullate with a slight gland-angle on adaxial margin near base, sometimes triangular-lanceolate without gland-angle, 5–10 mm long, 1.3–2 mm wide, pungent with a slender 0.5–1.5 mm long cusp, rigid, green, glabrous or subglabrous; midrib prominent; lateral nerves absent. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 3–8 mm long, densely puberulous with straight patent hairs; heads globular, 5–8-flowered, cream to white. Flowers 4-merous; sepals c. 1/2-united, with lobes triangular; petals puberulous, 1-nerved. Pods terete, narrowed at both ends, to 7.5 cm long, 2–3 mm diam., red-brown, striate, finely appressed-puberulous. Seeds ±oblong, 4 mm long; aril terminal, conical.

Habitat

Grows in sand in open heath, frequently fringing seasonally dry swamps, and in sand over laterite in shallow depressions in open Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest.

Specimens

W.A.: W of Yarloop, R.J.Cranfield 121 (NSW, PERTH); Whicher Ra., A.S.George 6212 (NSW, NY, PERTH); 3.2 km SW of Donnybrook towards Capel, B.R.Maslin 448 (NSW, NY, PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. horridula group’, most closely related to A. uliginosa which has sparser branchlet hairs restricted to the ribs, erect stipules, 8–15-flowered heads, and glabrous, nerveless petals.

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