Family

Fabaceae

Distribution

Restricted to the Mingenew–Three Springs area, south-western W.A.

Description

Much-branched shrub to 1 m high. Branchlets somewhat spinose, pruinose at extremities, hirsutellous to shortly pilose. Stipules evident on new shoots. Phyllodes patent to inclined, inequilateral, lanceolate, sometimes narrowly elliptic, 7–15 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, l:w = 2–6, acuminate, pungent, glabrous or sparsely hirsutellous; midrib ±central with normally 2 or 3 minor nerves parallel to it; gland 4–7 mm above pulvinus, with margin slightly angled at gland; pulvinus to c. 0.5 mm long. Inflorescences 1-headed rudimentary racemes with axes > 0.5 mm long and frequently growing out at anthesis; peduncles 3–8 mm long, ±glabrous, recurved in fruit; basal bracts and bracteoles as in A. amblygona; heads globular to shortly obloid, 20–23-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 3/4 united. Pods ±moniliform, rather tightly coiled, to 17 mm long and 10 mm wide in contorted state, firmly chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, c. 4 mm long; aril c. 2/3 length of seed.

Habitat

Grows on low rocky or lateritic hills, in eucalypt woodland or Casuarina tall shrubland.

Specimens

W.A.: Arrino, W.V.Fitzgerald s.n., Sept. 1903 (NSW); 11 km N of Three Springs on The Midland Rd, B.R.Maslin 5487 (BRI, K, PERTH); 26.5 km E of Mingenew on road to Morawa, B.R.Maslin 6244 (PERTH).

Notes

A member of the ‘A. pravifolia group’, closely related to A. amblygona which has non-spinose, non-pruinose branchlets, phyllodes with the midrib near the lower margin and the gland closer to the base, and pods strongly arcuate to openly coiled.

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