Acacia glaucocaesia Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 252 (1926)
Glabrous shrub or tree normally 2–3 m high, sometimes to 7m. Branchlets pruinose. Stipules presumably spinose on young plants, represented by minute, tooth-like projections at mature nodes. Phyllodes commonly elliptic to narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 7–13 mm wide, l:w = 1.5–3, thin, rounded-obtuse, glaucous, rarely green except on new shoots, with midrib not prominent, finely penninerved; gland basal, not prominent, c. 0.5 mm long. Inflorescences racemose (with axes 1–6 cm long) as in A. victoriae , some simple as in A. synchronicia ; peduncles mostly twinned, 7–10 mm long, slender, with caducous bract above middle; heads prolific, globular, 35–50-flowered, pale yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods narrowly oblong, to 4 cm long, 12–13 mm wide, chartaceous, pruinose. Seeds transverse, oblong to ovate, 4.5–5 mm long, slightly shiny, brown to black; funicle thick, scarcely arillate.
Known only from a few scattered localities in the western part of the Pilbara region mainly between the Fortescue and De Grey Rivers, including North Turtle Is., north-western W.A. Grows in sandy loam on flood plains and commonly forms almost monospecific stands.
A sterile specimen with persistent, spinose stipules, collected from a regrowth population at Salt Ck, between Port Hedland and Broome ( B.R.Maslin 4874 , PERTH), is tentatively referred to this species, see B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 8: 298 (1992), for discussion.
The taxonomic status of this poorly collected species is uncertain. It is perhaps better placed within A. victoriae from which it differs mainly in more flowers per head, slightly shorter and less elongate phyllodes, and stipules consistently absent from mature nodes, fide B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 8: 298 (1992). It grows around Karratha near A. synchronicia which has a more open growth habit, golden flower-heads, and thicker, commonly narrower and longer phyllodes with normally more prominent glands. May resemble A. synchronicia .
Type of accepted name
Between the Ashburton and De Grey Rivers, W.A., E.E.Clement ; syn: PR527979 (sphalm. ‘legit. A.A.Dorrien-Smith’) and PR527978.
Acacia glabriflora Maiden & Blakely, J. Roy. Soc. W. Australia 13: 12; pl. 3, figs 12–18 (1928), non Domin (1926). Type: between the Ashburton and De Grey Rivers, W.A., E.Clement ; holo: NSW (purchased Aug. 1900); iso: K, PERTH.
Illustrations
J.H.Maiden & W.F.Blakely, J. Roy. Soc. W. Australia 13: pl. 3, figs 12–18 (1928); B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 8: 296, fig. 4E- H (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: Mardie Stn, C.A.Gardner 3079 (PERTH); Karratha- Port Hedland area, P.Glennon 13 (PERTH); 2.8 km W of Goldsworthy turn-off on North West Coastal Hwy, L.Thomson LXT 1183 (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.
