Acacia maidenii F.Muell., Bot. Centralbl . 51: 398 (1892)
Maiden’s Wattle
Tall shrub or tree to 20 m high. Bark smooth, fissured on older stems, grey or grey-brown. Branchlets angular towards apices, light brown or grey, with prominent lenticels. Phyllodes very narrowly elliptic, elliptic or oblong-oblanceolate, falcate to sub-falcate or sometimes +/-straight, (7–) 10–20 cm long, 6–25 mm wide, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, with 1–5 prominent longitudinal nerves, the numerous minor nerves anastamosing; gland 1, basal, inconspicuous, to 6 mm above pulvinus. Spikes 2.5–6 cm long, loosely flowered, pale yellow. Flowers mostly 4-merous; calyx 0.4–0.6 mm long, dissected to 1/4–1/3, densely pubescent; corolla 1.2–1.7 mm long, dissected to 1/2–2/3, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent. Pods variably twisted or curled into loose spirals, subterete, 5–14 cm long, 2.5–4 (–5) mm wide, coriaceous-crustaceous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to broadly elliptic, 4–5.5 mm long, dark brown, slightly reddish; areole open; aril cupular.
Occurs in Qld, N.S.W. and Vic. E of 148E, in coastal and subcoastal environments, from Proserpine in the north to Orbost in the south. Grows usually in more fertile soils, sometimes derived from basalt, often on the edges of littoral rainforest. Flowers mostly Jan.–June.
The prominent lenticels on the branchlets and the densely pubescent calyces distinguish A. maidenii . The species is related to A. floribunda and A. longifolia .
Details of ecology, utilisation, etc of A. maidenii are given in J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 158 (1986).
Type of accepted name
Karuah R., N.S.W., 1892, Bauerlen ; syn: K n.v. , fide L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 165 (1978).
Synonymy
Racosperma maidenii (F.Muell.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 352 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
J.H.Maiden, Forest Fl. New South Wales 6 (8): pl. 220 (1916); L.Fuller, Wollongong’s Native Trees 59 (1980); K.A.W.Williams, Native Pl. Queensland 2: 25 (1984); A.Fairley & P.Moore, Native Pl. Sydney District pl. 348 (1989); L.Costermans, Native Trees Shrubs SE Australia 306 (1981).
Representative collections
Qld: 8 km NE of Murgon, R.G.Coveny 2084 (A, AD, BRI, K, MEL, NSW, US). N.S.W.: Burning Mtn, 3 km NNE of Wingen, c. 13 km SE of Murrurundi, J.Pickard & R.G.Coveny 1085 (C, K, NH, NSW, U). Vic.: W45 Reeve Rd, 2 km W of Orbost–Buchan road, 6.5 km W of Orbost P.O., S.J.Forbes 904 & D.Cameron (MEL, 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.
