Acacia cincinnata F.Muell., Fragm . 11: 35 (1878)
Large shrub or tree 5–25 m high. Bark furrowed, flaky, dark grey to black. Branchlets angular, stout, pale brownish grey, pubescent. Phyllodes obliquely very narrowly elliptic, tapered gradually towards apex and base, flat, falcate, 10–16 cm long, 11–30 mm wide, coriaceous, with scattered appressed hairs but becoming glabrous (young tips golden hairy), with 3 main conspicuous nerves confluent and contiguous with lower margin near phyllode base, the minor nerves 2–4 per mm, longitudinal, occasionally anastomosing; gland 1, basal, to 2 mm above pulvinus. Spikes 3.5–5.5 cm long, creamy yellow. Flowers 5-merous; calyx dissected to 1/3, densely pubescent; corolla 1.5–1.8 mm long, dissected to 1/2, glabrous; ovary pubescent. Pods straight-sided, tightly spirally coiled, (4–) 5–6 (–7) mm wide, coriaceous, pruinose, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic-oblong, 3.5–4.5 mm long, black; areole elliptic, open; funicle-aril encircling seed in double-loop, thickened, orange or yellow.
Restricted to Qld, on rainforest margins in wetter areas of the Atherton Tableland, its adjacent coast and the Eungella Ra., also in eucalypt open forest often on river banks in high rainfall areas on the coast between Maryborough and Brisbane; often in sandy soils over granite. Flowers May & June.
Details of ecology, utilisation, etc. of A. cincinnata are given in J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 122 (1986).
Type of accepted name
Gould Is., Qld, F.Mueller s.n. ; syn: MEL; Rockingham Bay, Qld, Dallachy ; syn: MEL; possible isosyn: NSW.
Synonymy
Racosperma cincinnatum (F.Muell.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 347 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
F.Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 9 [pl. 6] (1888); B.A.Lebler, Wildfl. SE Queensland 2: 25 (1981); B.R.Maslin & M.W.McDonald, A key to useful Australian acacias for the seasonally dry tropics , CSIRO, 24 & 25 (1996).
Representative collections
Qld: S end of Bribie Is., B.Lebler & M.F.Olsen (BRI, CANB, K, MEL, MO, NSW, US); 8.5 miles [13.6] km on road from Mareeba, Mt Malloy region, I.V.Newman 521 (NSW); Finch Hatton Gorge, Eungella Ra., I.R.Telford 9226 & G.Butler (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.
