Acacia sphaerostachya E.Pritz., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 35: 305 (1904)
Bushy, spreading, slightly resinous, glabrous shrub 1–2.5 m high. Phyllodes asymmetrically lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, sometimes substraight to shallowly recurved or sometimes shallowly sigmoid, 3–5 (–6) cm long, 4–7 (–9) mm wide, acute to acuminate (the apical point thickened and conical), bright green, with longitudinal nerves numerous but mostly very indistinct being obscured by fine longitudinal wrinkling when dry, however, 1–3 nerves commonly more evident than the rest, not anastomosing. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 in axils; spike obloid to shortly cylindrical, 7–15 (–20) mm long, golden; peduncles 10–20 (–23) mm long. Flowers 5-merous; buds acute and subdensely arranged. Pods (only a few fragmentary valves seen, these appear generally similar to those of A. ancistrocarpa ) 5–7 mm wide, narrowed at base, dark brown, longitudinally nerved; margins slightly thickened.
Scattered in the Pilbara region, W.A., where it extends from Karratha N to near Shay Gap and Wallal Downs Stn (between Port Hedlend and Broome). Flowers recorded Feb., Mar., June, July & Oct.; probably related to rainfall events.
Probably a hybrid between A. stellaticeps (flowers in round head) and A. ancistrocarpa (flowers in cylindrical spikes); the two putative parents and A. sphaerostachya have been recorded as being sympatric in a few places.
Acacia glabripes Maiden & Blakely and A. patellaris Domin are possibly conspecific with this taxon: see Doubtful Names; see also A. sphaerostachya var. angustior E.Pritz. under Doubtful Names.
Type of accepted name
Near Roebourne, [W.A.], Apr., [F.L.E.]Diels 2774 ; holo: B (destroyed); iso: PERTH (Fragment ex B).
Illustration
J.R.Wheeler, in J.R.Wheeler (ed.) et al ., Fl. Kimberley Region 318, fig. 92E (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: 2 km SE of Telfer Mine, D.Goble-Garrett 304 (NSW, PERTH); Karratha, near Government Nursery, B.R.Maslin 4714 (CANB, K, PERTH); 41.1 km W of turnoff to Eighty Mile Beach camping ground (near Wallal Downs) on Great Northern Hwy, L.Thomson LXT1173 (PERTH).
(BRM, PGK)
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.
