Acacia brachyphylla Benth., Linnaea 26: 615 (1855)
Subshrub 0.2–0.3 m high. Branchlets terete, pilose to villous-tomentose, scarred by raised phyllode bases with age. Stipules persistent, narrowly triangular to subulate, to 1.5 mm long. Phyllodes ascending to erect, straight to curved, sometimes recurved at apex, terete to compressed, 3–12 mm long, 1 mm wide, with 6–8 raised, minutely villous nerves (the hairs sometimes reduced to papillae), rarely glabrous; gland obscure, on lower half of phyllode. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles 4–10 mm long, minutely villous or glabrous; basal bract caducous, cucullate, rostrate, 2–3 mm long; heads globular, 3–4 mm diam., 8–12-flowered, golden; bracteoles spathulate, acuminate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free or irregularly 1/4–1/2-united. Pods linear, undulate, raised over but not constricted between seeds, to 5 cm long, 1.5–4.5 mm wide, thinly coriaceous to firmly chartaceous, pruinose or not, pilose, sometimes glabrescent, or glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, broadly ovate, 2–2.5 mm long, subnitid, mottled dark brown and grey-brown; aril subterminal.
Occurs in south-western W.A. from near Tammin SE to near Jerramungup; has two varieties.
A member of the ‘ A. sulcata group’ and related to A. sulcata but differs most obviously by having persistent stipules, pilose to villous-tomentose branchlets and minutely villous phyllodes. Also similar to A. prismifolia .
Phyllodes 3–12 mm but commonly 5–7 mm long, not recurved at tip; pods hairy, not pruinose
var. brachyphylla
Phyllodes 8–10 mm long, recurved at tip; pods glabrous and pruinose
var. recurvata
Acacia brachyphylla Benth. var. brachyphylla
Phyllodes 3–12 mm long; apex not recurved, apiculate to mucronate; gland in basal half of phyllode on central nerve. Pods to 5 cm long, 3–4.5 mm wide, not pruinose, pilose but sometimes partly glabrescent.
Occurs from near Tammin SE to near Lake King, south-western W.A. Grows in sandy loam and gravel, usually in mallee.
Type of accepted name
South-western W.A., J.Drummond 37 ; holo: K, see R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 9: 71 (1993), for discussion; iso: NSW, PERTH (Fragment ex K and NSW).
Illustration
M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 105 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Swan R., J.Drummond s.n. (K); 10.5 km N of Bungalla turn-off [near Tammin] from Great Northern Hwy, M.D.Tindale 3715 (AD, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH, US).
Acacia brachyphylla var. recurvata R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 9: 72 (1993)
Phyllodes 8–10 mm long, apex recurved to subuncinate, strongly mucronate; gland near distal end of pulvinus or absent. Pods to 2 cm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, pruinose, glabrous or subglabrous and glabrescent.
Occurs from near Kukerin SE to near Jerramungup, south-western W.A. Grows in often gravelly loam and sand, in shrubland.
One collection ( K.J.Atkins 89008 , PERTH) is unusual in having glabrous phyllodes and branchlets.
Superficially similar to A. vassalii .
Type of accepted name
16 km E of Jerramungup, W.A., 28 July 1963, K.Newbey 785 ; holo: PERTH; iso: MEL.
Representative collections
W.A.: 4 km N of Calyerup Rock, K.Newbey 4231 (PERTH); 1.6 km E of Nyabing, K.Newbey s.n. (PERTH).
(RSC)
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.
