Acacia celastrifolia Benth., London J. Bot. 1: 349 (1842)
Glowing Wattle , Celastrus-leaved Acacia
Glabrous shrub 1–3 m high. Branchlets finely ribbed, usually pruinose. Phyllodes obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic, 3–7 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm wide, l:w = 1.5–3.5, slightly undulate, obtuse-mucronate or acute, with indurate mucro, coriaceous, green to grey-green or subglaucous; midrib and marginal nerves prominent and yellow; lateral nerves few and obscure; gland prominent, 0.5–2 cm above pulvinus. Inflorescences 10–20-headed racemes; raceme axes normally 3–12 cm long; peduncles 3–10 mm long, somewhat stout; heads globular, normally 2–3-flowered, usually bright light golden. Flowers 4-merous, large; sepals united into a truncate to sinuolately lobed calyx; ovaries 3–5 per flower, sessile, glabrous. Pods erect, linear, straight to shallowly curved, to 12 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, crustaceous to subwoody; margins thickened, undulate. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, narrowly 4–5 mm long, somewhat glossy, normally brown; aril terminal.
Occurs from N of New Norcia to York and S to Wagin and S of Dinninup, south-western W.A. Grows on laterite hills, in Eucalyptus (commonly E . accedens ) woodland.
A member of the ‘ A. myrtifolia group’ which in the past was commonly treated as a variety of, or conspecific with, A. myrtifolia . Besides having a more southerly, coastal distribution, A. myrtifolia has consistently non-pruinose branchlets, usually different phyllode proportions and a single, hairy ovary per flower. The multiple gynoecia of A. celastrifolia are especially distinctive; this condition is rare in Australian acacias. Also closely related to A. clydonophora .
Very attractive when in flower. The racemes are prolific at the ends of the branchlets and support numerous, fragrant, few-flowered heads of a bright light golden or sometimes sulphur colour.
Type of accepted name
Swan R., 1839, [J.] Drummond s.n .; holo: K (sheet stamped herb. Bentham 1854); iso: K (sheet stamped herb. Hooker 1867).
Synonymy
Acacia myrtifolia f. celastrifolia (Benth.) Benth., Fl. Austral. 2: 377 (1864); A. myrtifolia var. celastrifolia (Benth.) Benth., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 30: 475 (1875). Type: as for accepted name.
Acacia ludwigii Ohlend., Verz . 74 (1844). Type: n.v. Synonymy following B.Seeman, Eur. Acac. 28, (1852); despite many attempts I have been unable to locate the protologue or the type of this name.
Illustrations
W.J.Hooker, Bot. Mag . 73: t. 4306 (1847); R.Erickson et al. , Fl. & Pl. W. Australia 2nd edn, 112 (1973); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 173 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Western Boundary of proposed North Dinninup Reserve, E.M.Bennett 2063 (PERTH); 10 km N of New Norcia, H.Demarz 9630 (PERTH); Swan R., J.Drummond 281 (BM, G-DC, K, LE, MEL, OXF, P, W); 6.4 km W of York on the road to Perth, B.R.Maslin 485 (NSW, PERTH); 2 km N of Wagin on Great Southern Hwy, B.R.Maslin 5043 (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.
