Acacia baileyana F.Muell., Trans. Roy. Soc. Victoria 1: 168 (1888)
Cootamundra Wattle
Shrub or tree to 10 m high; d.b.h. to 25 cm; crown spreading. Bark smooth, grey or brown. Branchlets angled towards apices otherwise terete, pruinose, glabrous or softly white-pilose; ridges to 0.2 mm high. Young foliage-tips pale blue. Leaves subcoriaceous, blue-grey, glaucous, subsessile with basal pinnae arising immediately above pulvinus; rachis (0.3–) 1–2.5 cm long, with 1 prominent, orbicular or oblong, glabrous gland at base of upper 1–3 pairs of pinnae, interjugary glands absent; pinnae (1–) 2–4 (–6) pairs, 1–2.5 (–3) cm long; pinnules (4–) 8–24 pairs, closely spaced, cultrate to oblong, (3–) 5–8 mm long, 0.7–1.6 mm wide, glabrous, with prominent midvein and 1 or 2 discernible secondary veins and sometimes lateral veins, apex rounded to subacute. Inflorescences in axillary racemes or terminal false-panicles; axes much longer than the leaves. Heads 11–20-flowered, golden. Pods 3–10 cm long, 8–15 mm wide, coriaceous, bluish at first, later brown to black, glabrous. n = 13, I.V.Newman, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 49: 166 (1933).
Native to Temora–Cootamundra–Stockinbingal district, N.S.W. Grows in open woodland, in stony, undulating or hilly country, on granites and porphyries. Naturalised in W.A., S.A., Qld, N.S.W. and Vic. Flowers June–Sept.; fruits Oct.–Jan.
Acacia baileyana is widely cultivated in parks, gardens and on roadsides, both for its foliage and floral display. It is fast growing, frost resistant, fairly hardy but short-lived.
Acacia baileyana commonly hybridises with A. decurrens and occasionally with A. dealbata , A. oshanesii , A. pubescens , A. spectabilis and A. leucoclada . The hybrid with A. decurrens is referred to as A.x nabonnandii Nash in S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Pickard, Pl. New South Wales 151 (1981), and is discussed by E.Cheel in Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 60: 443–444 (1935).
Type of accepted name
Bowen Park, Brisbane, Qld, cultivated, Aug. 1876, F.M.Bailey ; holo: MEL; iso: BRI n.v. , fide L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 301 (1979).
Synonymy
Racospermum baileyanum (F.Muell.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 345 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Acacia baileyana var. aurea Pescott, Victorian Naturalist 34: 79 (1917); Type: none cited. [Variety with golden coloured young foliage.]
Illustrations
F.Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 12 [pl. 5] (1888); J.H.Maiden, Forest Fl. New South Wales 4: pl. 117 (1908); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 301 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Mundaring Wier townsite, G.J.Keighery 9120 (NSW, PERTH). S.A.: Naracoorte, 8 miles [12.9 km] out, R.Filson 3034 (MEL, NSW). Qld: 10 km N of Stanthorpe, L.Pedley A7418 (BRI n.v.). N.S.W.: 12.3 km W of Dudauman Exchange, R.G.Coveny 11981 & P.D.Hind (B, MO, NSW, NY, PE, PERTH); 26 km S of West Wyalong on Narrandera road, G.M.Cunningham 2403 & P.L.Milthorpe (NSW); 1 mile [1.6 km] S of Lawson, Blue Mtns, 14 Jan. 1961, M.D.Tindale s.n. (NSW). A.C.T.: foot of Black Mountain, O'Connor, Canberra City district, R.D.Hoogland 8554 (CANB, NSW). Vic: 1.5 km N of Wedderburn on Nine Mile Road, J .Connock 331 (MEL, NSW).
(MDT & PGK)
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.
