Acacia sphenophylla Maslin, Nuytsia 12: 403 (1999)
Intricate, spreading shrub 0.3–1.3 m high. Branchlets coarsely or sharply pungent, glabrous or hirsutellous to pubescent, extremities often pruinose. Phyllodes ascending to erect, inequilateral, cuneate to obtriangular, adaxial margin obliquely truncate between the rounded distal angle and the short, slender, pungent mucro, 3–11 mm long, 1.5–5 mm wide, l:w = 1.5–3.5, green, glabrous or sparsely hirsutellous, 2- or 3-nerved with lowermost nerve near abaxial margin. Inflorescences rudimentary, 1-headed racemes with axes <0.5 mm long; peduncles 4–8 mm long, normally glabrous; basal bracts and bracteoles as in A. pravifolia ; heads globular or obloid, 15–30-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, the lobes unequal. Pods submoniliform, openly 1–1 1/2 coiled, 2–3 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, blackish, glabrous or subglabrous. Seeds longitudinal, ovate to elliptic, 2 mm long; aril as long or longer than seed.
Occurs from near Geraldton N to c. 50 km N of the Murchison R., W.A. Grows in sand in mixed open scrub, tall shrubland or open heath.
Similar to A. pravifolia which has rather tightly coiled and twisted pods, shorter aril and usually different phyllode shape and size. Sometimes confused with A. acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens .
Type of accepted name
48 km N of Murchison R. crossing, North West Coastal Hwy, W.A., 2 Jan. 1972, A.S.George 11226 ; holo: PERTH.
Representative collections
W.A.: 30.5 km from Kalbarri towards Ajana, B.R.Maslin 3327 (PERTH); 48 km N of Murchison R. on North West Coastal Hwy, B.R.Maslin 3343 (AD, BM, BRI, CANB, G, MEL, NSW, PERTH); 21 km from Nabawa towards Yuna, B.R.Maslin 3351 (K, MO, NY, 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.
