Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Occurs from near Hyden and Mt Holland ESE to near Grass Patch, south-western W.A.

Description

Spreading ±open shrub 0.2–0.7 m high; branches slender. Branchlets puberulous to tomentulose. Phyllodes patent, asymmetric, widely ovate to widely depressed-ovate or oblate, (2–) 2.5–4 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, obtuse to acute, apiculate and mucronate, coarsely pungent, thick, smooth and turgid (fresh) but midrib strongly raised when dry, glabrous. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 4–8 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 4–5 mm diam., 20–30-flowered, bright light golden to mid-golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods strongly arcuate to subcoiled, subterete, to 2 cm long, c. 2 mm wide, coriaceous to thinly crustaceous, black, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, c. 2 mm long, mottled grey and black; aril conical, yellow.

Habitat

Grows in loam or sand over clayey loam.

Specimens

W.A.: The Pimple, 40 km E of Hyden, K.J.Atkins 1579 (PERTH); Peak Charles turn-off on Lake King–Kumarl road, B.R.Maslin 5792 (AD, BRI, CANB, G, MEL, MO, NSW, PERTH); 7.5 km E of Grass Patch, D.J.McGillivray 3635 & A.S.George (PERTH).

Notes

One collection (from 10 km W of Peak Eleanora, M.A.Burgman & S.McNee 2231, PERTH) appears to represent a possible hybrid with A. merrallii.

FOA Reference

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

Author

Minor edits by J.Rogers

B.R.Maslin