Acacia acradenia F.Muell., Iconogr. Austral. Acacia , dec. 11 [pl. 4], figs 1–8 (1888 ); J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 142 (1859), pro syn. sub A. umbellata
Spindly shrub to 7.5 m high. Bark smooth or fibrous, grey, reddish grey or brown. Branchlets slightly flattened or angular towards apices, dark reddish or orange-brown, pubescent; ridges ±resinous-crenulated. Phyllodes elliptic or narrowly elliptic to obovate, oblique, 5.5–15 cm long, 10–30 mm wide, rigid, ±hoary between resinous veins, sometimes pubescent, multistriate, with minor veins numerous, 7–9 per mm, not anastomosing, with 3 or more prominent veins confluent near base, with a basal gland to 2 mm above pulvinus and a minute gland at the acute to obtuse apex. Spikes 2–6.5 cm long, orange or golden. Flowers 5-merous, resinous; calyx 0.9–1.2 mm long, dissected for 1/5–1/2, puberulous; corolla 1.8–2.2 mm long, cut for c. 1/2, glabrous; ovary puberulous. Pods linear, almost straight-sided, often curved, ±compressed-terete, 4–13 cm long, crustaceous, pubescent to ±glabrous, resinous, longitudinally furrowed. Seeds longitudinal, narrowly oblong- to oblong-elliptic, 3–6 mm long, dark brown; pleurogram with yellowish halo; areole ±open, depressed, olive-brown.
Common in the arid country of northern Australia from the Fortescue R. and Kimberleys, W.A., across the N.T. eastwards to Prairie, Qld, as far as 25ºS.Grows in skeletal sandy soils and red earths, on laterite, sandstone or calcrete, on rocky hillsides or in gorges, often along creeks with eucalypts and spinifex. Flowers all the year.
The plate labelled ‘Acacia acradenia’ by F.Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 10 [pl. 4] (1888), is a mixture of two species; figs 1–8 represent A. acradenia and 9–13 A. umbellata . These two species are frequently confused, although A. acradenia has longer corollas, longer pods (to 7 cm), spikes (only rarely with a rudimentary shoot between them) borne in pairs in the phyllode axils, and puberulous-pubescent branchlets, peduncles, rachises and part or most of phyllodes.
A specimen from the McKinley Ra., S.A., ( viz . 1876, Sutherland , NSW), which is much further south than all other records, suggests a possible outlier population or doubtful record that requires further investigation.
L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 170 (1978) suggests that A. acradenia may be allied to A. stipuligera , although the relationship is not close.
Details of Aboriginal use of A. acradenia are given by P.Latz, Bushfires & Bushtucker 85 (1995).
Type of accepted name
Depot Ck, N.T., F.Mueller 6 ; lecto: MEL, fide L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 137 (1978); isolecto: K; paralecto: see A. umbellata .
Synonymy
Racosperma acradenium (F.Muell.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 344 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Acacia curvicarpa W.Fitzg., in J.H.Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New South Wales 51: 114 (1917). Type: near junction of Hann & Barnett Rivers, W.A., June 1905, W.V.Fitzgerald 1123 ; lecto: PERTH, fide B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 9: 397 (1994); isolecto: BM, K, NSW, PERTH; an almost glabrous form.
Illustrations
F.Mueller, loc. cit .; M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 1: 269 (1987).
Representative collections
W.A.: 8 miles [12.8 km] SW of Lamboo Stn, E Kimberleys, M.Lazarides 6303 (CANB, NSW); ‘Palm Springs’, 11 km W of Millstream Stn, A.N.Rodd 2814 (NSW, TL); N.T.: Vaughan Springs, G.Chippendale 880 (NSW, NT). Qld: 20 miles [32 km] SW of Cloncurry, M.Lazarides 4408 (CANB, NSW).
(NSW)
The information presented here originally appeared on the WATTLE CD-ROM which was jointly published by the Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, and the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Perth; it was produced by CSIRO Publishing from where it is available for purchase. The WATTLE custodians are thanked for allowing us to post this information here.
