Acacia pataczekii D.I.Morris, Rec. Queen Victoria Mus . 50: 1 (1974)
Wally’s or Pataczek’s Wattle
Shrub or tree 4–6 m high, apparently freely suckering following disturbance. Bark and branches pruinose. Branchlets angled at apices, dark reddish, normally lightly pruinose, glabrous. Phyllodes on raised stem-projections, slightly inequilateral, variable in shape and size, narrowly oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, sometimes obovate, 2–6 cm long, (5– ) 8–20 mm wide, l:w = (2– ) 3–6, thinly coriaceous, grey-green to glaucous, glabrous; midrib and margins prominent; lateral nerves obscure; gland 2–4 mm above pulvinus otherwise as in A. kettlewelliae . Inflorescences racemose; raceme axes 1.5–10 cm long, glabrous and flexuose; peduncles 2–4 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 10–15-flowered, bright lemon yellow. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united; ovary tomentulose. Pods narrowly oblong, 2.5–4.5 cm long, 7–11 mm wide, l:w = (2– ) 3–6, firmly chartaceous, purplish brown, lightly pruinose, glabrous, dehiscing unilaterally. Seeds longitudinal, ovate to elliptic, 3.5–4 mm long, compressed, dull, black, arillate.
Endemic in north-eastern Tas. where it occurs in several small populations in highland areas (at c. 1400 m) from Ben Nevis S to near Swansea. Grows as an understorey in mixed Eucalyptus forest.
Most closely related to A. kettlewelliae which is usually distinguished especially by its more elongate phyllodes with the gland 5–15 mm above the pulvinus and pods 5–10 cm long.
Possibly hybridises with A. dealbata (sect. Botrycephalae ), both in cultivation (e.g. D.I.Morris 86344 , HO, PERTH) and naturally (e.g. Tower Hill, Nov. 1976, W.Pataczek , NSW).
A detailed discussion of the species is given in A.J.J.Lynch, Conserv. Biol. & Managem. of 16 Rare or Threat. Fabaceae Species Tas. (ANPWS Endangered Species Program Project No. 4: 26–40, 1993).
Type of accepted name
Tower Hill, Tas., 17 Oct. 1972, W.Pataczek ; holo: HO; iso: HO, K.
Illustration
M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 133 & pl. 1 (1981).
Representative collections
Tas.: Tower Hill, near Fingal, F.E.Bienvenu 350 (CANB) and 5 Sept. 1976, W.M.Curtis & D.I.Morris (NSW); Roses Tier, Mar. 1986, M.Simmons s.n . (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.
