Acacia ampliceps Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 315; 316, fig. 1, 317, fig. 2 & 320, fig. 4A (1974)
Salt Wattle
Spreading shrub or tree 2–9 m high, occasionally prostrate. Branchlets often pendulous, yellowish, glabrous. Phyllodes commonly pendulous, variable, linear to lanceolate, sometimes narrowly obovate, 7–25 cm long, 7–30 mm wide, thin, light green, glabrous, prominently 1-nerved, penninerved; glands two, lowermost prominent, 0–2 mm above pulvinus, uppermost smaller and at base of mucro. Inflorescences terminal or axillary 2–11-headed racemes, secondary phyllode sometimes developed at base of peduncles; raceme axes to 10 cm long, robust, glabrous, subtended when very young by bracts; peduncles mostly 5–20 mm long, robust, glabrous; heads globular, large, subdense, 25- 50-flowered, white to cream. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, calyx truncate or sinuate-toothed. Pods submoniliform, to 10 cm long, 5–6 mm wide, woody, breaking readily at constrictions, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 5–6.5 mm long, shiny, greyish brown to black; aril scarlet.
Widespread from Wooramel, through the Pilbara district, northern Great Sandy Desert and southern Kimberley region, W.A., E to Mataranka and Renner Springs, N.T. Grows in sand or clay along watercourses, or in swales between coastal sandhills.
Hybridises with A. bivenosa and probably also with A. sclerosperma subsp. sclerosperma in the Pilbara region, W.A.
A fast-growing but short-lived species which can spread by root-suckering and which frequently forms monospecific stands on moist sites. It has great potential for use in reclamation of salt-affected areas and as a low windbreak, fide J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 96–97 (1986). The foliage is very susceptible to insect attack.
A member of the ‘ A. bivenosa group’ and distinguished most readily from A. ligulata and A. salicina by a combination of its thin, light green, commonly pendulous phyllodes, white, many-flowered heads and narrower pods. Past confusion of this species with A. salicina (syn. A. varians ) is discussed by B.R.Maslin, loc. cit .
Type of accepted name
19 km N of Sandfire roadhouse (between Broome and Port Hedland) on Great Northern Hwy, W.A., 9 June 1972, B.R.Maslin 2702 ; holo: PERTH; iso: BRI, CANB, K, NSW, NY.
Synonymy
[ Acacia salicina auct. non Lindl.: in sched. PERTH]
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, loc. cit. ; B.R.Maslin, in J.P.Jessop (ed.), Fl. Central Australia 120, fig. 159L (1981).
Representative collections
W.A.: Millstream, M.I.H.Brooker 2059 (MEL, NSW, PERTH); upper Rudall R. area, B.R.Maslin 2296 (AD, CANB, K, MEL, NY, PERTH); 111 km E of Broome towards Derby, B.R.Maslin 2676 (AD, K, MEL, NY, PERTH); Wolf Creek Crater, 13 July 1974, J.H.Willis (PERTH). N.T.: Coomarie Springs, J.Maconochie 1733 (PERTH).
(ARC & 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.
