Acacia aulacophylla R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 241 (1995)
Shrub 1–4 m high. Branchlets terete, glabrous. New shoots often golden appressed-puberulous. Phyllodes ascending to erect, straight, terete, (6- ) 7.5–12 (- 16.5) cm long, c. 1 mm diam., acuminate with a slender, curved, appressed-puberulous (sometimes partly glabrescent) tip, semi-rigid, glabrous (except tip), strongly 8-nerved (deeply furrowed inbetween); gland distinct, 2–15 mm above pulvinus; pulvinus slender, 2–4 mm long. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles mostly 5–8 mm long, appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 5–6 mm diam., densely 40–87-flowered, golden; bracteoles spathulate to subpeltate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, not strongly raised over or constricted between seeds, 6–10 cm long, 5–6 mm wide, coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, broadly elliptic, compressed, 4.5 mm long, with crested periphery, dull, black, arillate.
Occurs discontinuously from Byro Stn (c. 250 km due WNW of Meekatharra) S to Morawa and E to Cue (c. 65 km due N of Mount Magnet) with two populations slightly outside this range, one at Mary Spring (c. 120 km due NW of Mullewa), the other at Watheroo (c. 120 km due S of Morawa), W.A. Grows on laterite or granite hills, outcrops and breakaways, in white to red or brown sand, rocky sand, clay or loam, in open scrub often dominated by Acacia spp.
A member of the ‘ A. fragilis group’ and is distinguished from A. assimilis by its phyllode nervature. The long, deeply furrowed phyllodes with 8 strongly raised nerves are distinctive and are similar to those found in A. synoria which is recognized by its fewer-flowered heads on usually shorter, glabrous peduncles and narrower pods.
Type of accepted name
1.6 km N of Cue towards Meekatharra, W.A., 30 July 1974, B.R.Maslin 3594 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NY.
Representative collections
W.A.: Watheroo, Aug. 1953, C.Andrews (PERTH); Mary Spring, Kalbarri Natl Park boundary, D.R.Bellairs 1609 (MEL, PERTH); 50.1 km S of Yalgoo towards Paynes Find, R.Cumming 1993 (AD, NSW, PERTH); 9.6 km E of Morawa, J.R.Knox 650813 (PERTH).
(RSC & 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.
