Acacia applanata Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 158 (1995)
Grass Wattle
Grass-like subshrub 0.1–0.4 m high, erect or sometimes sprawling with weak, prostrate stems, few- or multistemmed from the base, sometimes spreading by subterranean runners. Stipules minute. Phyllodes few, continuous with branchlets, bifariously decurrent and forming opposite wings with each one extending to the next below, the wings usually 0.5–3 mm wide, glabrous, pubescent, hirsute or scabridulous and dark green; free portion of phyllodes usually 1.5–5 mm long, commonly tooth-like where subtending inflorescences, acute, with nerve close to adaxial margin; gland absent. Inflorescences 1–4-headed racemes; raceme axes 0.5–10 mm long, slender; peduncles 5–12 mm long, slender, glabrous; heads globular, 10–20-flowered, usually golden; buds obtuse to subacute. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united almost to their apices. Pods stipitate, curved, flat, to 3 cm long, 7–8 mm wide, thinly crustaceous, villous. Seeds transverse, oblong to elliptic, 3–4 mm long, arillate.
Sporadic from near Jurien (c. 80 km due NW of Lancelin) S to Albany, south-western W.A. Grows mostly in sand, loam and lateritic soils, often in winter wet depressions, usually in open woodland, woodland and forest, occasionally in shrubland.
Until recently this species was included under A. willdenowiana which is distinguished by its grey-green to glaucous phyllodes, pale yellow to white flower-heads in long racemes commonly narrowly winged and larger pods and seeds; these species are sometimes sympatric or parapatric. Vegetatively resembling A. anomala . Appears to hybridise with A. alata var. alata in a few places in the Darling Ra. near Perth, fide B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 160 (1995).
Plants at northern end of range are more branched at base than plants elsewhere, also their phyllodes may reach 5–7 mm wide and have free portions reaching 10 mm long.
Type of accepted name
E side of Luyer Ave, 75 m from junction with Station St, East Cannington, W.A., 9 Sept. 1992, R.S. & M.N.S. Cowan RSC A877 ; holo: PERTH; iso: AD, CANB, K, G, MEL, MO, NSW, NY, PERTH.
Synonymy
Acacia diptera Lindl., Sketch Veg. Swan R . xv (1839) p.p. , not as to lectotype, as to Vasse R., Mrs. Molloy ; paralecto: CGE, K, fide B.R.Maslin, loc. cit.
Acacia diptera var. angustior Meisn., in J.G.C.Lehmann, Pl. Preiss . 1: 5 (1844); A. benthamii var. angustior (Meisn.) Heynh., Nom. Bot. Hort . 2: 2 (1846). Type: Darling Range near cataracts [i.e. Susannah Brook], W.A., 3 Aug. 1839, L.Preiss 993 (sphalm. ‘393’ in protologue); lecto: NY, fide B.R.Maslin & R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 9: 405 (1994); isolecto: HBG, K, FI, G, GOET, L, LD, P, STR; Mt Wuljenup [= Willyung Hill, near Albany], W.A., 14 Oct. 1840, L.Preiss 994 (sphalm. ‘394’ in protologue); paralecto: G, LD, NY; Swan R., W.A., 23 July 1839, L.Preiss s.n. ; paralecto: LD.
? Acacia diptera var. eriocarpa W.Fitzg., J. Western Australia Nat. Hist. Soc. 1: 44 (1904). Type: none cited; n.v.
Representative collections
W.A.: Boonanarring Brook near Gingin, J.J.Alford 161 (PERTH); Albany, 14.5 km along Lower King Rd from Emu Point turn-off, E.M.Bennett 1113 (PERTH); Bayswater, 10 July 1900, A.Morrison (PERTH); 0.6 km W of Bussell Hwy on Ruabon road, between Bunbury and Busselton, B.R.Maslin 2812 (PERTH); 20 km N of Dandaragan on Badgingarra road, B.R.Maslin 6559 (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.
