Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to a small area of NE Qld between 14º30´ and 17ºS latitude.

Description

Single-stemmed shrub or tree to 6 m high. Branchlets dark brown, glabrous, somewhat resinous. Phyllodes straight and dimidiate to slightly falcately recurved, (7–) 8–11 (–12) cm long, (15–) 20–30 (–35) mm wide, glabrous, green but tips of young phyllodes dark coloured; with 3 or sometimes 4 main longitudinal nerves, the abaxial nerve confluent with lower margin at base, the secondary nerves anastomosing to form a close, net like reticulum; gland basal, normally inconspicuous. Inflorescences 1–7 branched racemes in upper axils; raceme axes 1–35 mm long; peduncles 4–12 mm long; heads globular, 20–30-flowered, cream flowers arranged in racemes with 1–7 branches in upper axils; axis to 30 mm long and occasionally growing out into a leafy shoot. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. ½ united. Pods irregularly loosely coiled or twisted, c. 12 cm long, 0.9–1.5 cm wide, coriaceous, glabrous, dark brown, margins thick and yellow, dark brown. Seeds (few seen) ± obovate, c. 5 x 3.5 mm, dark brown; funicle/aril orange, folded back on itself encircling seed.

Habitat

Occurs in the sandy beds (usually granitic) of seasonally dry streams and is often periodically submerged by flood waters.

Specimens

Qld: 12.9 km by rd c. S of Lakeland Downs towards Palmer R., R.Coveny 6979 & P.Hind (BRI n.v., CANB n.v., K n.v., NSW, US n.v.); Annan R. crossing on Mareeba–Cooktown rd, L.J.Webb & J.G.Tracey 11124 (BRI); Palmer R. crossing on Mareeba–Cooktown rd, L.J.Webb & J.G.Tracey 11134 (BRI).

Notes

Closely related to A. oraria which differs most conspicuously in being grey-scurfy on its phyllodes, branchlets and inflorescence rachises, and its generally shorter phyllodes.

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