Acacia formidabilis R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 12: 460 (1999)
Diffuse, spreading subshrub 0.25–0.6 m high. Branchlets pubescent to appressed-pubescent. Stipules persistent, recurved-spinose, 1.5–3 mm long. Phyllodes patent to ascending, inequilaterally narrowly elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, often shallowly recurved, with upper margin normally shallowly convex, 1.3–2.5 cm long, 2.5–4 mm wide, acuminate, pungent, rigid, coriaceous, glaucous or pale green, glabrous, with numerous fine, closely parallel nerves. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 4–10 mm long, sparsely puberulous or glabrous; heads globular, 4–5.5 mm diam., 31–52-flowered, pale golden to deep golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free to half-united. Pods flat, raised over seeds, straight, to 18 mm long, 9–12 mm wide, papery, light brown, glabrous. Seeds transverse, ovate, 2.5 mm long, dull, mottled, brown, exarillate.
Scattered from near Perenjori and Paynes Find SE to Southern Cross, south-western W.A. Grows in sand in tall open shrubland.
Phyllodes of A. formidabilis resemble those of A. resinistipulea which has non-spinose stipules, shorter peduncles and fewer-flowered heads. Sometimes superficially similar to A. unguicula which is a taller plant with shorter spiny stipules, nearly glabrous branchlets, more prominent, yellowish phyllode nerves with stomata on the green, internerve region and especially different pods.
Type of accepted name
9.6 km NW of Southern Cross, W.A., 12 Aug. 1971, B.R.Maslin 1956 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, NY.
Representative collections
W.A.: 16 km NE of Bungalbin Hill, K.Newbey 10832 (PERTH); 4.8 km W of Paynes Find, R.A.Saffrey 849 (G, MEL, 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.
