Acacia aculeatissima J.F.Macbr., Contr. Gray Herb. 59: 6 (l9l9)
Thin-leaf Wattle , Snake Wattle
Diffuse shrub, prostrate to 0.5 m high, rarely taller. Branchlets slender, finely ribbed, variably hairy, rarely glabrous. Stipules c. 1 mm long. Phyllodes mostly patent to reflexed, slender, terete to subterete, quadrangular when dry, 5–12 (- 20) mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, pungent with a slender, c. 1 mm long cusp, rigid, obscurely 4-nerved, variably muriculate on nerves, usually glabrous; pulvinus asymmetric. Inflorescences simple, 1–3 per axil; peduncles 5–13 mm long, slender, glabrous; basal bract c. 1 mm long; heads globular, sometimes obloid, c. 20-flowered, lemon yellow. Flowers 4-merous; sepals dissected to near base. Pods linear, biconvex, straight to shallowly arcuate, to 6 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 3.5–4 mm long; aril terminal.
Occurs in south-eastern Australia from the lower Grampians, Vic., to near Eden, N.S.W. Sometimes locally abundant. Often grows in rocky areas, in Eucalyptus woodland or forest or closed heath.
Plants with either hairy or glabrous phyllodes occur in the Grampians, Vic.; hairy phyllode variants are rare elsewhere.
Apparently related to A. genistifolia . The phyllodes resemble those of A. acuaria (W.A.) which has 5-merous flowers, conspicuous bracteoles and strongly curved to once-coiled pods.
Type of accepted name
‘In dry stony ranges near Ballarat, towards the Goulbourn and Broken River.’; Ballarat, Vic., ?Nov. 1853, F.Mueller s.n. ; syn: MEL30590; towards the Goulburn R., Vic., Feb. 1853, F.Mueller ; syn: MEL30588 & 30589, K; Broken R., Vic., Feb. 1853, F.Mueller s.n .; syn: MEL30593, K; Sandy Ck, tributary of the Broken R., 7 Feb. 1853, F.Mueller s.n. ; syn: MEL30592; Ironbark ranges between the Broken and Ovens Rivers, Vic., 17 Feb. 1853, F.Mueller s.n. ; syn: MEL30591.
Synonymy
Acacia aculeatissima is based on the following: Acacia tenuifolia F.Muell., Defin. Austral. Pl. 4 (28 June- 12 July 1855); Trans. Philos. Soc. Victoria 1: 37 (10 Sept. 1855: for discussion of publication date of this and the preceding see O.Seberg, Taxon 35: 262- 271, 1986), nom. illeg. , non (L.) Willd. (1806). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
F. von Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 1 (1887), as A. tenuifolia ; L.F.Costermans, Native Trees & Shrubs SE Australia 308 (1981); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 37 (1981); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 99, fig. 93, pl. 93 (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: Narrabarba, 24 km N of Vic. border, 7 Oct. 1954, E.F.Constable s.n. (NSW). Vic.: Grampians, A.C.Beauglehole l6445 (MEL); ‘Bald Hill’, 5 km S of Bobinawarrah East Primary School, c. 20 km due W of Myrtleford, B.R.Maslin 5968 (MEL, PERTH); Lind Natl Park, E.F.Constable 5389 (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.
