Acacia nodiflora Benth., Linnaea 26: 621 (1855)
Diffuse, intricate, glabrous or puberulous to hirtellous shrub 0.6–2 m high. Terminal branchlets occasionally coarsely spiny. Stipules subtending phyllode-clusters, to 4 mm long, spinose, often only bases persistent. Phyllodes in subnodose fascicles of up to 7, linear to linear-oblanceolate, infrequently subterete, 7–13 mm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, excentrically mucronulate at rounded or obliquely truncate, sometimes subuncinate apex, obscurely 1-nerved per face; gland in basal half of phyllode. Inflorescences simple, 1–3 per axil; peduncles 1–2 cm long, glabrous or puberulous, sometimes bracteate in distal half; heads globular to shortly obloid, 25–55-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free or united near base. Pods narrowly oblong, to 6.5 cm long, 7–8 mm wide, thinly crustaceous, yellow-brown. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 5 mm long, dull, brown; aril slightly shiny.
Known from only two specific localities in the Morawa- Carnamah area, south-western W.A. Grows among rocks on low hills.
A pair of spiny stipules subtends the clusters of phyllodes which are much-reduced branchlets with the internodes suppressed, so that the phyllodes are brought together in fascicles, the peduncles arising from the same abbreviated axis. In some specimens (e.g. B.R.Maslin 6230 , K, MEL, PERTH from the Carnamah area) the axis is slightly, but sufficiently, elongated as to reveal its true nature. In related species the axillary branch develops either into a raceme or it grows out at its tip during anthesis to produce axillary pairs of peduncles. The type and Carnamah specimens are less hairy than those from Billeranga Hills.
Related in a general sense to A. dentifera which has much larger, non-fascicled phyllodes with non-spinose stipules and indeterminate racemes or peduncles in axillary pairs. Also similar to A. adinophylla . Acacia scabra is perhaps conspecific.
Type of accepted name
Swan R., W.A., J.Drummond 4: 8 ; syn: K (herb. Bentham and herb. Hooker, 2 sheets); isosyn: G, P, W; possible isosyn: NSW, MEL n.v .
Representative collections
W.A.: Carnamah, W.E.Blackall 4370 (PERTH); Billeranga Hills, c. 20 km SW of Morawa, B.R.Maslin 5309 (K, PERTH).
(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.
