Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Confined to the Pilbara region of north-western W.A. where known from only the Jimblebar Mine Rd near Shovelanna Hill, c. 30 km due E of Newman.

Description

Tree to 3 m high. Branchlets glabrous. New shoots resinous, dark coloured (when dry). Phyllodes ascending to erect, narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, narrowed towards the base, obtuse-mucronate, mostly straight but some slightly incurved or recurved, 5–9 cm long, 4–8 mm wide, green, glabrous or with microscopic appressed hairs between the nerves; longitudinal nerves numerous, fine and close together, central nerve the most pronounced, minor nerves close together with a few longitudinally anastomosing; gland 0–1 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences simple or rudimentary racemes 1–3 mm long; peduncles mostly 15–25 mm long, c. as long or longer than the spikes, resinous, glabrous or with microscopic, fine, wide-spreading hairs, receptacle with same hairs; spikes 10–20 mm long, the flowers sub-densely arranged. Flowers 5-merous; calyx ½–¾ length of corolla, very shortly dissected into broadly triangular lobes; petals prominently 1-nerved (when dry). Pods and seeds not seen.

Phenology

Flowers July–Sept.

Habitat

Uncommon and grows high in the landscape (southern aspect) on gentle detrital slopes in gravelly red loam with Acacia adsurgens, A. ancistrocarpa, A. aneura, A. bivenosa, A. monticola, A. sibirica and A. tetragonophylla.

Specimens

W.A.: Jimblebar Mine Rd, 9 km E of Newman–Marble Bar Rd (old Great Northern Hwy), 7.5 km W of Shovelanna Hill, 22.5 km ENE of Newman, S.van Leeuwen 1342 (CANB, MEL, NSW, PERTH).

Notes

The taxonomic status of this entity is uncertain but it probably represents a hybrid, with A. adsurgens possibly one of the parents; it was recognized by B.R.Maslin et al., Wattles of the Pilbara CD-ROM (2010). The long peduncles which are about as long, or longer, than the spikes are reminiscent of A. adsurgens (with which it grows), however, A. adsurgens is distinguished by its linear phyllodes which are normally longer and narrower, shorter peduncles, and flowers which are more densely arranged within the spikes.

FOA Reference

Flora of Australia Project

Author

B.R.Maslin