Acacia inaequiloba W.Fitzg., J. Bot. 50: 18 (1912)
Compact, multistemmed shrub to 0.3 (– 6) m high. Branchlets straight and erect, rigid, spinose, often pruinose, normally glabrous. Phyllodes variable, asymmetrically obtriangular to cuneate or very narrowly oblong-elliptic, with a prominent or inconspicuous gland-angle near or above middle of adaxial margin, 1–4.5 cm long, 2–10 mm wide, pungent, glaucous, normally glabrous; midrib near abaxial margin; lateral nerves obscure. Inflorescences 1-headed rudimentary racemes with axes to 1 mm long; peduncles normally 5–10 mm long, glabrous; basal bracts conspicuous, brown, somewhat persistent; heads globular to shortly obloid, 12–21-flowered, light golden to mid-golden; bracteoles caducous, conspicuous in buds. Flowers 5-merous; sepals irregularly united. Pods prominently rounded over seeds, undulate, to 7.5 cm long, 4–5 mm wide, thinly coriaceous- crustaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinally oblique, widely ovate-elliptic, obliquely truncate adjacent to aril, c. 3 mm long, shiny, mottled black and brown; aril conspicuous.
Occurs in the Southern Cross- Coolgardie and Queen Victoria Spring-Streich Mound (c. 200 km due ENE of Kalgoorlie) districts, W.A.
Two geographically disjunct variants are recognised and future studies may show that each should be afforded a formal rank.
The first variant has phyllodes that are very narrowly oblong-elliptic, with inconspicuous gland-angle, 15–45 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, l:w = 9–20. It is found in the Queen Victoria Spring- Streich Mound area, and grows in red sand with Eucalyptus youngiana over Spinifex ( Triodia spp.) (W.A.: Queen Victoria Spring Nature Reserve, D.J.Pearson 230 (PERTH)). This uncommon variant includes the type of the species; it resembles A. scleroclada in general appearance.
The second variant has phyllodes that are asymmetrically obtriangular to cuneate, with conspicuous gland-angle, 10–35 mm long, 3–10 mm wide, l:w = 1.5–6. It is found in the Coolgardie- Southern Cross area, and grows in yellow sand in open scrub, often with Mallee eucalypts (W.A.: 16 km NW of Bullabulling towards Caeynie Rock, B.R.Maslin 1889 (BRI, K, NSW, PERTH); 15 km by road S of Queen Victoria Rock, B.R.Maslin 5409 (MO, PERTH)).
The species is probably related to A. nigripilosa .
Type of accepted name
Elder Exploring Expedition, Victoria Desert camp 56 [c. 95 km NE of Streich Mound, W.A.], 19 Sept. 1891, R.Helms 15 ; holo: NSW; iso: AD, NSW, PERTH; see B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 9: 395 (1994), for discussion of types.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, in J.P.Jessop (ed.), Fl. Central Australia 120, fig. 159C (1981); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 59 (1988).
(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.
