Acacia kochii W.Fitzg. ex A.J.Ewart & Jean White, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria n. ser. 23: 285; pl. 49, figs 1–5 (1911)
Spreading, intricate shrub usually 0.5–2 m high. Branches glabrous to subglabrous, with 1 or 2 patent thorns 0.5–2 cm long at many nodes. Phyllodes fasciculate at mature nodes, asymmetrically narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, often lunate, 1–2 cm long, 2–7 mm wide, obtuse and often mucronulate, thin, glabrous to subglabrous; midrib not prominent; lateral nerves impressed, sublongitudinal and anastomosing. Inflorescences simple, 1–3 per fascicle; peduncles 1–2 cm long, glabrous or strigulose; heads obloid to shortly cylindrical, 7–15 mm long, 5–6 mm diam., golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united. Pods moniliform, to 9 cm long, 5 mm wide, coriaceous, longitudinally nerved, slightly pruinose, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic, with subtruncate base, 5 mm long, dull, black; aril conical.
Known only from the Mt Singleton- Mt Gibson- Wanarra area between Wubin and Paynes Find in south-western W.A. Grows in rocky clay loam.
The protologue of A. kochii W.Fitzg. gives the plant height as 10–15 feet which is considerably taller than recorded on specimens seen. Fitzgerald’s isotype at Herb. PERTH does not record plant height.
Formerly confused with A. imitans which is readily distinguished by its smaller, non-fasciculate phyllodes, much shorter peduncles, often shorter spikes and tightly coiled pods enclosing shorter seeds with a subterminal aril. Also superficially similar to A. erinacea which is partially sympatric but it has globular flower-heads and short, straight, flat, narrowly to broadly oblong pods.
Type of accepted name
Watheroo Rabbit Fence, W.A., Sept. 1905, M.Koch 1616 ; holo: MEL n.v.
Synonymy
Acacia kochii W.Fitzg., J. Bot. 50: 20 (1912). Type: Watheroo Rabbit Fence, W.A., Aug. 1905, M.Koch 1616 ; lecto: BM (left hand specimen on sheet), fide B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 9: 395 (1994); paralecto: BM (dated Aug. 1905), MEL n.v . (dated Sept. 1905), NSW (two sheets, one dated Sept. 1905, one dated Aug.- Sept. 1904), PERTH (dated Sept. 1905).
Illustration
A.J.Ewart & J.White, loc. cit .
Representative collections
W.A.: Mt Singleton, C.A.Gardner 12048 (CANB, MEL, NSW, PERTH); Wanarra, Aug. 1960, C.A.Gardner s.n . (PERTH); c. 10 km S of Mt Gibson HS, A.A.Mitchell 1162 (PERTH); 28 km SSE of Warriedar HS, P.G.Wilson 8612 (PERTH, Z).
(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.
