Acacia puncticulata Maslin, Nuytsia 12: 384 (1999)
Spreading, much-branched shrub 0.5–1.8 m high. Branchlets hairy, with grey-white epidermis fissured with age. Stipules spinose, 2–4 mm long, normally straight, sometimes only hardened bases persisting. Phyllodes patent, ovate or widely ovate to elliptic or widely elliptic, commonly 1.5–2.5 cm long and 7–15 mm wide, l:w = 1.5–2.5, slightly undulate, pungent with slender cusp, coriaceous, slightly shiny, dark green, glabrous or sometimes midrib and margins tuberculate-hairy, puncticulate, with prominent midrib, finely penninerved. Inflorescences initiated on new shoots; peduncles normally 1 per axil, the subtending phyllodes often not mature at anthesis, normally 10–20 mm long, hairy; bract often near or above middle; heads globular to obloid, golden, 35–60-flowered. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods circinnate, 4.5–5.5 mm wide, coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 3.5 mm long, dull, brown to blackish, arillate.
Discontinuous from near Perenjori and Three Springs NNW to the Murchison R. (E of Kalbarri), south-western W.A. Grows normally in rocky red loam, commonly in A. acuminata tall shrubland.
Formerly confounded with A. congesta which is distinguished by its narrower, dimidiately inequilateral phyllodes which are not, or scarcely, puncticulate. Also, the pods of A. congesta curve within the plane of the suture whereas in A. puncticulata they curve at right angles to the plane of the suture.
Type of accepted name
c. 1 km S of Murchison R. along E boundary of Kalbarri Natl Park, W.A., 18 July 1987, D.Bellairs s.n. ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, G, K, MEL, NSW, NY.
Representative collections
W.A.: between Coorow and Arrino, W.E.Blackall 2615 (PERTH); Murchison R. Gorge, A.S.George 7906 (K, PERTH); 4.8 km E of Mullewa towards Yalgoo, B.R.Maslin 3627 (NY, PERTH); 29 km N of Caron, K.Newbey 2090 (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.
