Common Name

Broom Wattle, Narrow-leaved Wattle, Minyana

Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Widespread in tropical W.A., N.T. and Qld, extending into north-eastern S.A. at Innamincka Stn; also reported from gently undulating sand plain country in the Hanging Knoll area of north-western S.A.

Description

Obconic or rounded, resinous, multistemmed shrub 1–3 (–4) m high. Bark smooth, grey purplish or brown. Branchlets ±terete, glabrous; ridges yellow resin-crenulated. Phyllodes filiform, terete to ±compressed, 6–15 (–17) cm long, 0.7–1.3 mm wide, not rigid, glabrous, dull green to pale grey-green or subglaucous, apices often rigid but not pungent; finely multistriate, the nerves often resinous and (at least when dry) slightly raised; gland 1, basal, just above pulvinus. Peduncles 5–10 mm long. Spikes 0.5–1.5 cm long, pale yellow to bright yellow, densely-flowered. Flowers 5‑merous; calyx 0.8–1 mm long, truncate, thin, dissected irregularly into lobes, glabrous; corolla 1.2–1.4 mm long. Pods linear, raised over and ±constricted between seeds, straight, later curved or coiled, 2.5–7 (–9) cm long, 2–3 mm wide, chartaceous, scaly when mature. Seeds longitudinal, 2.5–4 mm long, black; aril relatively large and yellow or orange.

Phenology

Flowers mainly Mar.–Aug.

Habitat

Common in eucalypt woodland, often with spinifex, in sandy soils.

Specimens

W.A.: c. 80 km NW of Wittenoom on road to Roebourne, B.R.Maslin 5571A (NSW, PERTH). N.T.: Negri–Stirling area, C.Dunlop 3564 (BRI, CANB, DNA, NSW); 16 km N of Tennant Creek, N.Forde 21 (CANB, NSW). S.A.: Marqualpie Paddock, Innamincka Stn, J.Reid 1640 (AD n.v.). Qld: c. 59 km S of Prairie on Muttaburra Rd, P.Hind 1067 & C.K.Ingram (AD, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH, TL, Z).

Notes

Related to A. adsurgens and A. exigua. Superficially resembling Acacia orthocarpa but distinguished most readily by its striate (not puncticulate) phyllodes and chartaceous, submoniliform pods. Details of fire tolerance and Aboriginal use of A. tenuissima are given by P.Latz, Bushfires & Bushtucker 118 (1995).

FOA Reference

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

Author

Dr M.D.Tindale and Dr P.G.Kodela with the assistance of M.Bedward, S.J.Davies, C.Herscovitch, D.A.Keith and/or D.A.Morrison plus minor edit BRM