Acacia asparagoides A.Cunn., in B.Field, Geogr. Mem. New South Wales 343 (1825)
Spreading shrub 1–2 mm high. Branchlets hirsutellous, sometimes glabrous. Stipules c. 1 mm long. Phyllodes subsessile, often subverticillate, normally patent, narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, sometimes narrowly linear, quadrangular to flat, 8–20 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, pungent with a 1–2 mm long cusp, rigid, green, glabrous; midrib prominent; gland normally on a slight angle 0.5–2 mm above base. Inflorescences 1-headed rudimentary racemes with axes to 0.5 mm long; peduncles 1.5–3 mm long, glabrous or subglabrous, recurved in fruit; basal bracts 3 and fused; heads globular, 3.5–5 mm diam. (dry), 20–30-flowered, bright yellow; bracteoles acuminate, often slightly exserted beyond flowers in buds. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free or united; petals obscurely 1-nerved. Pods narrowly oblong, shallowly curved, to 4 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, black, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 3.5 mm long, mottled, exarillate; funicle filiform.
Occurs mainly in the Blue Mtns, N.S.W., from Newnes S to Jenolan Caves; also further N near Tenterfield. Grows in sand on sandstone or granite, in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland or occasionally heath.
A member of the ‘ A. ulicifolia group’, closely allied to A. echinula which has larger heads on longer peduncles.
Type of accepted name
Regent’s Glen, Blue Mtns, N.S.W., Oct. 1822, A.Cunningham 213 ; holo: K; iso: A, K.
Illustrations
I.B.Armitage, Acacias New South Wales 12 (1978); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 98, fig. 91, pl. 91 (1992).
Representative collections
NSW: Wolgan Gap, c. 16 km NNW of Lithgow, 29 Aug. 1958, E.F.Constable s.n. (NSW); Boonoo Boonoo R., N.Perry 137 (NSW); Victoria Falls Lookout, Mt Victoria, Blue Mtns, T.Tame 1939 (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.
