Acacia hemsleyi Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New South Wales 51: 87, pl. 2 (1917)
Slightly resinous shrub or tree to 7 m high. Bark slightly fissured or shreddy. Upper branchlets commonly angular, otherwise terete, glabrous; upper ridges often resin-convoluted. Stipules triangular, brown, 1–2 mm long, often persistent. Phyllodes linear to very narrowly elliptic and linear-oblanceolate, straight or slightly curved, 4–14.5 cm long, 3–14 mm wide, acute to obtuse with a setose point normally 1.5–3 mm long at apex, thinly to moderately coriaceous, glabrous, with 2 or 3 slightly prominent main nerves continuous from base to apex and 2 or 3 secondary nerves, the minor nerves 5 or 6 per mm, slightly anastomosing; gland 1, to 3 mm above pulvinus. Spikes 1.5–3 cm long. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.4–1 mm long, dissected for 2/3, ciliate and puberulous to glabrous; corolla 0.9–1.6 mm long, dissected for 1/2 or more, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent. Pods linear, slightly constricted between and raised over seeds, 5–10 cm long, 2.5–4.5 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 4.5–5.5 mm long, dark brown; pleurogram with halo; areole closed or almost so, paler than rest of seed.
Occurs in tropical Australia (W.A., N.T. and Qld) N of 21S; very common in north-western Qld. Grows in gravelly sands on river beds and creek banks and on sandy beaches in mangrove communities. Flowers June–Sept.
This species is allied to A. plectocarpa and A. hammondii , both of which have transversely arranged seeds in the pods. A toxic substance, probably saponin, has been reported in the pods of A. hemsleyi .
Type of accepted name
Fitzroy R., 8 miles [13 km] above Hann R. Junction, W.A., June 1905, W.V.Fitzgerald 1177 ; holo: NSW; iso: PERTH.
Synonymy
Racosperma hemsleyi (Maiden) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 349 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
J.H.Maiden, loc. cit. ; K.A.W.Williams, Native Pl. Queensland 3: 5 (1987); J.R.Wheeler, in J.R.Wheeler (ed.) et al ., Fl. Kimberley Region 321, fig. 93C (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: Barker R., W.V.Fitzgerald 1535 (NSW). N.T.: Border water hole, Highland Plains Stn, N.M.Henry 224 (NSW, NT); Cove S of East Neck on Centre Is., Gulf of Carpentaria, B.Rice 2042 (K, NSW). Qld: Herbert R., Rockingham Bay, 1 Aug. 1863, J.Dallachy (NSW); 10 km N of Mount Isa on the Barkly Hwy, P.Ollerenshaw 1178 & D.Kratzing (BRI, 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.
