Acacia leptoclada A.Cunn. ex Benth., London J. Bot . 1: 385 (1842)
Spreading shrub 1–3 m high; branches pendulous. Bark smooth, grey, brown or greenish brown. Branchlets terete, inconspicuously ridged, blue-black, sparsely to densely pilose with white or fawn hairs, or sometimes glabrous. Young foliage-tips cream-coloured or pale ferruginous. Leaves herbaceous, dark green, rarely over 2.5 cm long, subsessile with basal pinnae arising immediately or to 0.5 mm above pulvinus, sometimes with a minute, orbicular gland at insertion of basal pair of pinnae; rachis (0.1–) 0.4–1.2 cm long, usually with 1 or 2 minute glands at base of uppermost pinnae, interjugary glands absent; pinnae 1–5 pairs, 0.3–1.2 cm long; pinnules 5–13 pairs, oblong to narrowly oblong, 1.5–3 (–4) mm long, 0.4–1 mm wide, glabrous or with fine hairs on margins and beneath, broadly rounded or acute and slightly wider at apex. Inflorescences mostly in axillary racemes, sometimes in terminal false-panicles or single; axes to 4 times longer than leaves, 1–6 cm long, very flexuose. Heads 7–12 mm diam., 30–45-flowered, golden or dark yellow. Pods straight-sided or very slightly indented between seeds, 1.5–9.5 cm long, 5–9 mm wide, thinly or thickly coriaceous, black or brown, densely pilose to glabrous.
Occurs in N.S.W. on the western side of the Northern Tablelands from Tingha S to Guyra, the North Western Slopes, and rarely North Western Plains, from Yetman area S to Barraba. Grows in scrubland, Eucalyptus - Callitris woodland and open forest, in stony places at high elevations, in sandy soils over granite or porphyries. Flowers Aug.–Oct.; fruits Nov.–Jan.
A variable species, especially in indumentum, from having variably hairy branchlets, rachis, pinnae, pinnules, flower-heads and pods to being glabrous. In hairy forms there are long hairs in the flower-heads (mainly towards calyx apices and on bracteole lamina) which are initially very conspicuous and pinkish purple when in bud (appearing to change colour with age and when dried in specimens to fawn- or yellowish-hyaline).
Type of accepted name
N of Liverpool Plains, N.S.W., July 1827, A.Cunningham ; ?holo: K (photo NSW).
Illustrations
D.A.Morrison & S.J.Davies, in G.J.Harden (ed.), Fl. New South Wales 2: 386 (1991); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 199, fig. 228; pl. 228 (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: 12.4 km N of Tenterden along Moredun Dam road, R.Coveny 12397, W.Bishop & L.Murray (K, MEL, NSW, TL, US); 39.9 km S of Yetman en route to Warialda, R.Coveny 12713, P.Cuneo & B.Wiecek (AD, B, K, MEL, MO, NSW, PRC, PERTH, US); 2 km from Graman on Ashford road, C.J.Dunn 53, J.Plat & R.Coveny (E, MEL, NSW); Woods Reef, E of Barraba, A.N.Rodd 4067 (B, BRI, MEL, NSW).
(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.
