Acacia xanthocarpa R.S.Cowan & Maslin
WATTLE
Acacias of Australia
Family
Fabaceae
Distribution
Restricted to an area just W and S of Meekatharra from the Belele, Norie and Polelle Stns, extending c. 120 km due NE to Doolgunna Stn and Neds Creek Stn, and to an area c. 120 km due SE of Meekatharra, W.A.
Description
Shrub 2–3 m high, rounded or obconic, with trunks and main branches somewhat contorted. Bark grey, fissured on main trunks. New shoots densely appressed-puberulous; hairs pale yellow ageing silvery. Branchlets sparsely appressed-puberulous, soon glabrous. Phyllodes erect, terete, 6–9.5 cm long, 0.9–1 mm diam., innocuous, appressed-puberulous when young, soon glabrescent or some hairs persisting in grooves between the numerous fine closely parallel nerves. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 2–7 mm long, ±appressed-puberulous; heads subglobular to obloid, c. 6 mm long, 18–20-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free to 1/2-united. Pods narrowly oblong, undulate, to 8 cm long, 8–15 mm wide, crustaceous-coriaceous, densely velvety; hairs ±long, light golden ageing white. Seeds oblique to transverse, broadly elliptic to circular, 6.5–9 mm long, dull, dark brown; aril a small terminal mound.
Habitat
Appears to be confined to rocky basalt hills and plains, commonly along drainage lines.
Specimens
W.A.: [c. 96 km SW of Wiluna], J.S.Beard 4775 (PERTH); Norie Stn, 0.5 km W of HS, c. 25 km due SW of Meekatharra, B.R.Maslin 5385 (CANB, K, PERTH); 42 km S of Neds Creek Stn turn-off on Wiluna–Great Northern Hwy road, B.R.Maslin 5389 (PERTH); Polelle Stn near Shearing Shed, A.A.Mitchell 1044 (MEL, PERTH); Belele Stn, A.L.Payne 82 (PERTH).
Notes
Related to A. subcontorta which differs in its broader, flat phyllodes and more thickly textured, glabrous or white-hairy pods. Also related to A. curryana.
FOA Reference
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia
Author
R.S.Cowan, B.R.Maslin
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