Acacia nervosa DC., Prodr . 2: 449 (1825)
Rib Wattle
Glabrous subshrub 0.1–0.5 m high, sometimes sprawling, single- or multistemmed from a woody root-stock. Branchlets prominently ribbed, pruinose. Stipules 3–8 mm long, spreading, slender, spinose. Phyllodes slightly inequilateral, narrowly elliptic, straight or shallowly incurved, 1–5 cm long, 4–12 mm wide, commonly acute, pungent, greyish green; midrib and marginal nerves prominent; lateral nerves obscure or absent; gland 2–12 mm above base. Inflorescences 2–4-headed often rudimentary racemes with axes 0.5–7mm long; peduncles 5–18 mm long; heads showy, prolific, globular, loosely 7–12-flowered, bright golden. Flowers 4-merous; sepals c. 3/4-united, with lobes broadly triangular. Pods narrowly oblong, twisted, to 5 cm long, 8–9 mm wide, woody, dark brown; margins thick. Seeds transverse, oblong to circular, 3.5–4 mm long, shiny, greyish brown; funicle flat and dilated at attachment to pod; aril dark brown (dry).
Occurs from Mogumber S to L. Muir and Cape Naturaliste with outlying occurrences near Tammin, Katanning and Mount Barker, south-western W.A. Grows in laterite or gravelly sand or sandy clay, frequently near watercourses, in Eucalyptus woodland or forest.
Differs from other members of the ‘ A. myrtifolia group’ by its transverse seeds, also the dilated funicle is otherwise known only in A. durabilis . Other dwarf members of the group include A. obovata and A. pygmaea .
Type of accepted name
Geographe Bay [probably collected from Eagle Bay, near Dunsborough, W.A., on 31 May 1801, by Freycinet , a member of the Baudin expedition], ex Museum de Paris 1821; holo: G-DC; iso: G-DC, BM, K, P.
Illustrations
H.B.Fielding & G.Gardner, Sert. Pl. 1: t. 4 (1843); W.R.Elliot & D.L.Jones, Encycl. Austral. Pl. 2: 88 (1982).
Representative collections
W.A.: Western Australia, J.Drummond 1: 290 (BM, G, K, OXF, P); Mogumber, Sept. 1936, C.A.Gardner s.n. (PERTH); Tammin, July 1951, B.J.Grieve (PERTH); 35.3 km S of Kojonup on road to Rocky Gully, B.R.Maslin 642 (MEL, PERTH); Murray district, E.Pritzel 483 (BM, M, NSW, P, Z); Katanning, F.Stoward 172 (BM).
(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.
