Acacia leucoclada Tindale, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales ser. 2, 91: 149 (1966)
Shrub or mostly spreading tree 2.5–20 m high. Bark smooth and grey on upper trunk, rough, corrugated, grey or brown to black on lower trunk. Branchlets slightly angled with smooth ridges, often pruinose, glabrous, grey-puberulous or densely white-crispato-pilose. Young foliage-tips silvery or whitish, pubescent-tomentose. Leaves herbaceous or subcoriaceous, green or silvery, glaucous; petiole above pulvinus 0.5–2.5 (–3) cm long, not vertically flattened, glabrous, puberulous or crispato-pilose, eglandular or with an apical or median gland; rachis 2–9.5 cm long, glabrous, puberulous or crispato-pilose, with jugary glands at base of one, most or all pairs of pinnae, also with 1–5 tomentellous, contiguous or non-contiguous, interjugary glands between several pairs of pinnae; pinnae 5–18 pairs, 1.5–5.5 cm long; pinnules 11–45 pairs, mostly cultrate to narrowly oblong, 1–6 mm long, 0.4–1 mm wide, 1-veined, either glabrous above and puberulous beneath or with minute, white, crisped hairs on both surfaces, apex obtuse to subacute. Inflorescences in axillary racemes, or terminal or axillary false-panicles. Heads 20–26-flowered, yellow or golden. Pods usually slightly constricted between seeds, 3–12 cm long, 4.5–12 mm wide, subcoriaceous, red-brown or brownish grey, pruinose, glabrous or sparsely puberulous.
Occurs in south-eastern Qld and on the North Coast, Northern and Southern Tablelands, Western Slopes, the Pilliga Scrub, Howes Mtn (Central Coast) and the Hunter R. Valley in N.S.W.
The rachis is sometimes less than 2 cm long with less than 5 pairs of pinnae. The plants sucker freely.
Acacia leucoclada occasionally hybridizes with A. baileyana .
There are 2 subspecies, both having been confused with A. dealbata in the past, but they differ from the latter in the more open habit of the trees, the smaller, often inconspicuous glands and the presence of interjugary glands on the rachises between at least some pairs of pinnae. Acacia leucoclada subsp. argentifolia has fewer and less conspicuous glands on the leaves than in subsp. leucoclada , and tends to have more conspicuously spreading crisped hairs on its branchlets and foliage while in subsp. leucoclada the hairs are mostly straight to curved and appressed to spreading. Intermediates between the 2 subspecies occur.
Glands on petioles and rachises glabrous or hoary, usually 1 conspicuous jugary gland at base of each pair of pinnae and 2–5, often contiguous, interjugary glands between most pairs of pinnae or rarely 1 or 2 pairs without jugary glands and only 1 interjugary gland between pinnae; branchlets grey-hoary or glabrous; mainly tree to 10 (–13) m high
subsp. leucoclada
Glands on petioles and rachises densely crispato-pilose, 1 inconspicuous gland below uppermost pair of pinnae, also 1–2 rarely contiguous, interjugary glands between all or some pairs of pinnae; branchlets with short, white or grey crisped hairs; tree to 20 m high.
subsp. argentifolia
Acacia leucoclada Tindale subsp. leucoclada
Tree or sometimes shrub to 10 (–13) m high. Branchlets hoary with grey hairs or glabrous. Leaves usually with 1 conspicuous jugary gland at base of each pair of pinnae and 2–5, often contiguous, interjugary glands between most pairs of pinnae, or rarely 1 or 2 pairs without jugary glands and only 1 interjugary gland between pairs of pinnae, the glands of petioles and rachises glabrous or hoary; pinnules 0.5–1 mm wide. 2 n = 26, B.G.Briggs, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 91: 150 (1966).
Occurs in N.S.W. on the western slopes from Warialda S to Wagga Wagga, common in the Pilliga Scrub, also rarely on the Northern and Southern Tablelands, in the Hunter R. Valley and at Howes Mtn. Grows in open forest usually in association with eucalypts and Callitris spp., in poor sandy or gravelly soils, often on basalt or acid granite. Flowers mainly July–Oct.
Type of accepted name
Tunderbrine Ck, Warrumbungle Mtns, 3 Sept. 1953, A.Correy ; holo: NSW; iso: A, AD, BRI, G, K, L, UC, US.
Synonymy
Racosperma leucocladum (Tindale) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 351 (1987); R. leucocladum (Tindale) Pedley subsp. leucocladum , Austrobaileya 2: 351 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
D.A.Morrison & S.J.Davies, in G.J.Harden (ed.), Fl. New South Wales 2: 388, fig. 203a (1991); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 189, fig. 217a- f; pl. 217a (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: 29 km S of Cobborah, E.F.Biddiscombe 336 (CANB, NSW); Warrumbungle Natl Park, W.Bishop 496 (NSW); Eulomogo Ck, 12.9 km S of Dubbo, C.K.Ingram s.n. (NSW47331); Bumberry, 5 Oct. 1956, M.D.Tindale s.n. (NSW).
Acacia leucoclada subsp. argentifolia Tindale, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales ser. 2, 91: 151 (1966)
Tree to 20 m high. Branchlets densely crispato-pilose. Leaves often with 1 gland near base of uppermost pair of pinnae, and 1 or 2 interjugary, rarely contiguous glands between all or some pairs of pinnae, the glands of petioles and rachises inconspicuous, narrow, densely crispato-pilose; pinnules 0.4–0.9 mm wide. 2 n = 26, B.G.Briggs, on E.F.Constable s.n. (NSW78899).
Occurs in south-eastern Qld especially near Kingaroy and in the Warwick- Dalveen district, and in N.S.W. mainly in the Acacia Ck- Koreelah area on the North Coast. Grows in open forest or woodland, in sandy soils or red loam. Flowers July–Sept.; fruits Nov.
Type of accepted name
1 mile [1.6 km] W of Memerambi, Qld, 31 Oct. 1960, M.D.Tindale s.n. ; holo: NSW; iso: A, K, L, US.
Synonymy
Racosperma leucocladum subsp. argentifolium (Tindale) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 351 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
B.A.Lebler, Wildfl. SE Queensland 2: 11 (1981); T.D.Stanley & E.M.Ross, Fl. SE Queensland 1: 376, fig. 60A1 & A2 (1983); D.A.Morrison & S.J.Davies, in G.J.Harden (ed.), Fl. New South Wales 2: 388, fig. 203b (1991); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 189, fig. 217g; pl. 217b. (1992).
Representative collections
Qld: Turner Ck, 19 miles [30.6 km] N of Stanthorpe, R.Coveny 2100 (A, B, BRI, CANB, CHR, K, NSW, PERTH, US); 5 km W of Tingoora, R.Coveny 6756 & P.Hind (A, B, CANB, K, LE, NSW, NU, P, TL, UC, Z); Warwick, M.D.Tindale s.n. (NSW52682). N.S.W.: 6 miles [9.7 km] SW of Legume, S.Clark, J.Pickard & R.Coveny 1724 (A, AD, K, PERTH, UC); Maryland R., E.F.Constable 6653A (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.
