Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from the Cape Ra. Natl Park S to the Minilya R., W.A.

Description

Dense rounded shrub, 1–2 m high. New growth tomentose. Phyllodes ovate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 2–5.5 cm long, 8–23 mm wide, l:w = 2–4, obtuse, coriaceous, tomentose and milky green when young, glabrescent and green or occasionally glaucous when mature, prominently 2-nerved; lateral nerves obscure; glands not prominent, 1–7 mm above pulvinus, often also at base of mucro. Inflorescences 3–6-headed racemes, sometimes growing out with subsequent inflorescences, simple; raceme axes 1–4 cm long, tomentose; peduncles 10–25 mm long, normally tomentose; heads globular, densely 30–55-flowered, lemon yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united into a ±truncate calyx. Pods strongly curved to openly once-coiled, to 7 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, crustaceous, tomentulose, subglabrous with age. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 5–6 mm long, glossy, dark brown; aril orange-red (dry).

Habitat

Grows on plains and hills in loam often associated with limestone, in low shrub and open shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: 24.1 km S of turn-off to Coral Bay on Exmouth Rd, A.R.Chapman 587 (AD, MO, PERTH); Tropic of Capricorn, North West Coastal Hwy, 31 Oct. 1983, W.B.Edgecombe (PERTH); c. 10 km E of Bullara HS on Bullara–Giralia road, A.N.Start 65 (CANB, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. bivenosa group’. Often sympatric with A. bivenosa which is usually a glabrous shrub with green or glaucous phyllodes, deep golden heads with fewer flowers and submoniliform, broader pods. With respect to phyllode dimensions, A. startii resembles the more southerly A. telmica and A. didyma but is distinguished by its tomentose young phyllodes, lemon yellow, 30–55-flowered heads and narrow pods.

FOA Reference

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

Author

A.R.Chapman, B.R.Maslin