Acacia gilbertii Meisn., in J.G.C.Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 2: 204 (1848)
Glabrous shrub to c. 1 m high. Pinnae 1 or 2 pairs, 1.5- 4 cm long; petiole 5- 15 mm long, with rib on upper surface vertically flattened and dilated near the gland; pinnules 3- 7 pairs, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 8- 20 mm long, 3- 5 mm wide, light green, reddish on new growth; gland obliquely terminating on rib on petiole at base of pinnae, sessile, prominent, sometimes also on pinna-rachae at base of lowermost pair of pinnules. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil, sometimes falsely racemose due to phyllode reduction; peduncles 10- 15 mm long; heads globular, loosely 2- 8-flowered, white. Flowers 4-merous; sepals united into a truncate calyx, 1/5- 1/4 length of petals; ovary stipitate. Pods often twisted, 1- 3 cm long, 4- 5 mm wide. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to elliptic, 3.5- 4 mm long.
Sporadic from York S to Augusta and Denmark, south-western W.A. Grows in loam and sand usually over laterite, in Jarrah ( Eucalyptus marginata ) forest and eucalypt woodland.
Not closely related to other members of sect. Pulchellae . The diagnostic flower characters suggest close affinities to A. myrtifolia and its allies in sect. Phyllodineae , fide P.Guinet et al. , Bot. J. Linn. Soc . 80: 53- 68 (1980).
Type of accepted name
Augusta, W.A., 1842, J.Gilbert 50 ; holo: BM (sheet labelled herb. Shuttleworth); iso: CANB, K, FI, PERTH, TCD; see B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 9: 406 (1994), for note on type.
Synonymy
Acacia nigricans var. subracemosa Meisn., in J.G.C.Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 2: 204 (1848). Type: Swan R., W.A., J.Drummond [2:] 157 ; holo: BM (sheet labelled herb. Shuttleworth), fide B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, op. cit . 410; iso: G, G-DC, K, LD, MEL, NSW, OXF, P.
[ Acacia nigricans auct. non (Labill.) R.Br.: C.F.Meissner, in J.G.C.Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1: 20 (1844) p.p. , as to J.Drummond 314 (G-DC, K, MEL, P, OXF, W) and L.Preiss 891 (G, G-DC, GOET, LD, MEL, NAP, NY, P, RO—sphalm. ‘438’, W)].
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 477, fig. 32 & 492, map 11 (1975).
Representative collections
W.A.: Denmark, C.A.Gardner 407 (PERTH); Dryandra State Forest, G.J.Keighery 6692 (PERTH); near Karridale on Bussell Hwy, B.R.Maslin 476 (AD, MEL, NSW, 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.
