Acacia gracilenta Tindale & Kodela, Telopea 5: 61; 56, fig. 2 & 63, fig. 4 (1992)
Resinous shrub to 3 m high. Bark greyish or light brown. Branchlets terete, pale to bright green, glabrous or sparsely puberulent. Phyllodes single, occasionally paired, linear to very narrowly elliptic, sometimes widest c. 1/3 from apex, flat, straight or slightly curved, 2.7–10.2 cm long, 1.4–6.5 mm wide, chartaceous, bright green, glabrous or ciliolate, with prominent midnerve, usually with 2 subprominent nerves, 2–7 nerves per mm, sparsely anastomosing; glands basal and apical, inconspicuous. Peduncles 13–26 mm long. Spikes single, 2–5.5 cm long, 3.5–6.5 mm wide, slightly interrupted at first, golden. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.2–0.4 mm long, almost free, with lobe apices obtuse or spathulate; corolla 0.9–1.5 mm long, dissected by 1/3–1/2, glabrous. Pods linear, raised over and constricted between seeds, curved, 2–12 cm long, 2.5–4 mm wide, with longitudinal nerves and minor nerves anastomosing, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, areole closed, depressed; funicle folded c. 5 times.
Occurs in the N.T. in Arnhem Land, Kakadu Natl Park, and Katherine Gorge Natl Park. Grows in sandy soils on plateaux and in gorges; often on slopes near rivers and creeks. Flowers and fruits Apr., May & Aug.
The pods of A. gracilenta are linear and constricted as in A. linarioides which also occurs in Arnhem Land, Kakadu Natl Park and the Pine Creek region. However, the latter species has free, claw-like sepals and linear, rather stiffly erect phyllodes 1–3.5 cm long and 0.4–2 mm wide.
Type of accepted name
Upper East Alligator R., Arnhem Land, N.T., 22 Apr. 1988, J.Russell-Smith 5270 & D.Lucas ; holo: DNA; iso: BRI, NSW.
Illustrations
M.D.Tindale & P.G.Kodela, op. cit . 63, fig. 4.
Representative collections
N.T.: upper Birdie Ck area, Kakadu Natl Park, A.V.Slee & L.A.Craven 2512 (CANB, DNA?, NSW); Second Spring, Seventeen Mile Valley, Katherine [Gorge] Natl Park, M.D.Tindale 6038 & C.Dunlop (CANB, K, NSW, UNSW).
(MDT & PGK)
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.
