Acacia phaeocalyx Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 321; 320, fig. 18 & 327, fig. 21 (1978)
Intricate, sprawling or compact, glabrous shrub normally 0.3–0.6 m high. Branchlets pruinose. Stipules spinose, 2–4 mm long, shallowly recurved. Phyllodes dimidiate, broadest near or below the middle, with adaxial margin conspicuously rounded with its proximal edge frequently parallel to the branchlet, 8–15 mm long, normally 6–11 mm wide, acuminate, pungent, coriaceous, green or subglaucous; midrib near abaxial margin. Inflorescences simple, normally 1 per axil; peduncles 5–10 mm long; heads globular, rather loosely 7–8-flowered, golden; buds 3–3.5 mm long, acute. Flowers 4-merous; sepals 1/6 length of petals, c. 3/4 united, the lobes rounded to broadly triangular, brown; petals finely striate. Pods terete, normally to 7 cm long and 4 mm diam., coriaceous-crustaceous, shallowly curved, red-brown, finely longitudinally striate. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 4–5 mm long, dark brown; aril terminal, conical.
Occurs in the Wongan Hills and Kellerberrin areas, south-western W.A. Grows in sand, often over laterite, in scrub and tall shrubland.
Phyllodes, petals and pods similar to A. dilatata which usually has puberulous non-pruinose branchlets, straight stipules and 15–25-flowered heads with 5-merous flowers. The 4-merous flowers and carpological characters of A. phaeocalyx indicate affinities to the ‘ A. horridula group’, but it is clearly distinguished by its spinose stipules, large phyllodes and striate petals.
Type of accepted name
About 4 km N of Wongan Hills towards Ballidu, W.A., 27 May 1976, B.R.Maslin 4111 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY, P, PERTH.
Illustration
B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 320, fig. 18 (1978); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 61 (1981).
Representative collections
W.A.: 17 km S of Tammin, M.D.Crisp 5503 (PERTH); 49 km from York towards Quairading, J.Taylor 2220 & P.Ollerenshaw (PERTH); Wongan Hills, M.D.Tindale 2787 (NSW, 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.
