Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from near Geraldton N to c. 50 km N of the Murchison R., W.A.

Description

Intricate spreading shrub 0.3–1.3 m high. Branchlets coarsely or sharply pungent, glabrous or hirsutellous to pubescent, extremities often pruinose. Phyllodes ascending to erect, inequilateral, cuneate to obtriangular, adaxial margin obliquely truncate between the rounded distal angle and the short slender ±pungent mucro, (3–) 3.5–8 (–11) mm long, 1.5–4 (–5) mm wide, l:w = 1.5–3.5, green, glabrous or sparsely hirsutellous, 2- or 3-nerved with lowermost nerve near abaxial margin. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes < 0.5 mm long; peduncles 4–8 mm long, normally glabrous; basal bracts and bracteoles as in A. pravifolia; heads globular or obloid, 15–30-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, with lobes unequal. Pods submoniliform, openly 1–11/2-coiled, 2–3 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, blackish, glabrous or subglabrous. Seeds longitudinal, ovate to elliptic, 2 mm long; aril as long or longer than seed.

Habitat

Grows in sand in mixed open scrub, tall shrubland or open heath.

Specimens

W.A.: 30.5 km from Kalbarri towards Ajana, B.R.Maslin 3327 (PERTH); 48 km N of Murchison R. on North West Coastal Hwy, B.R.Maslin 3343 (AD, BM, BRI, CANB, G, MEL, NSW, PERTH); 21 km from Nabawa towards Yuna, B.R.Maslin 3351 (K, MO, NY, PERTH).

Notes

Similar to A. pravifolia which has rather tightly coiled and twisted pods, shorter aril and usually different phyllode shape and size. Sometimes confused with A. acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens.

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

Minor edits by J.Rogers