Acacia amputata Maslin, Nuytsia 12: 493 (1999)
Much-branched subshrub 0.3- 0.6 m high. Branches often pink-brown. Branchlets strigulose to puberulous, spinose to sub-spinose. Axillary spines numerous, 1 or 2 per node, 4- 10 mm long. Leaves small; petiole <0.5 mm long; pinnae 1 pair, 1- 2 mm long; pinnules 2- 4 pairs, obovate to oblong-obovate, 1- 2.5 mm long, 0.5- 1 mm wide, glaucous to subglaucous, glabrous; gland within axil of pinnae, stipitate, to 0.5 mm long. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes c. 0.5 mm long; peduncles 1- 2 mm long, strigulose to puberulous, occasionally glabrous; heads globular, 10- 20-flowered, light golden; bracteoles acute to short-acuminate, dark brown; buds subacute. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/2- 2/3-united, 5-nerved; petals obviously 1-nerved. Pods undulate to circinnate, to 15 mm long, 4- 5 mm wide, thinly crustaceous, glabrous. Seeds transverse to oblique, broadly elliptic, c. 2 mm long, brown mottled black.
Occurs from Brookton and Narrogin E to Frank Hann Natl Park and SE to near Boxwood Hill, south-western W.A. Grows in sometimes gravelly loam, sandy loam and sand, in tall eucalypt shrubland and open shrubland.
Most readily distinguished from A. pulchella by shorter pods, mottled seeds and usually shorter peduncles with fewer-flowered heads (however, see A. pulchella var. pulchella Variant 1). Vegetatively similar to A. pulchella var. glaberrima (variant 4) but readily distinguished by hairy branchlets; possible hybrids occur between these taxa near Lake Grace (e.g. K.Newbey 9485-1 , MELU, PERTH).
Type of accepted name
Kukerin, W.A., 2 Sept. 1934, C.A.Gardner s.n. ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K.
Synonymy
Acacia amputata is based on the following: Acacia pulchella var. subsessilis Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 406; 404, fig. 4P- S & 483, map 2 (1975). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, loc. cit. , as A. pulcella var. subsessilis .
Representative collections
W.A.: 51.5 km S of Jerramungup, L.Bousfield 4 (PERTH); 1.6 km S of Narrogin towards Wagin, B.R.Maslin 660 (B, CANB, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); 39 km W of Ravensthorpe towards Jerramungup, B.R.Maslin 3469 (PERTH); 5 km NW of Ongerup, K.Newbey 3736 (CANB, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); 28 km S of Tadpole Lake, c. 63 km ENE of Lake King, K.Newbey 5532 (MEL, PERTH).
(BRM)
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.
