Acacia caleyi A.Cunn. ex Benth., London J. Bot . 1: 347 (1842)
Spreading shrub to 2–3 m high, probably not specifically distinct from A. decora , but distinguished in the following ways. Branchlets densely puberulous with patent to subpatent and straight to curved or subcrisped hairs. Phyllodes oblanceolate, 1.5–3.5 cm long, 5–10 mm wide, obtuse-mucronulate, sparsely puberulous (except young phyllodes often moderately to densely hairy), the hairs patent to subappressed and scattered over lamina or confined to base, margins and midrib. Raceme axes densely puberulous, the hairs patent, golden on young racemes, white or golden at anthesis; peduncles densely golden-puberulous with patent or appressed hairs. Pods 8–9 mm wide.
Restricted to the Griffith area, between Rankins Springs and Narrandera, N.S.W. Grows on sand plains or on rocky slopes over weathered conglomerate, in open Callitris and Eucalyptus forest, or grassland.
The type of A. caleyi is a rather depauperate specimen and its phyllodes have a denser indumentum than other specimens seen. It was probably these characteristics which led G.Bentham, Fl. Austral. 2: 374 (1864), to treat erroneously the species as conspecific with A. podalyriifolia .
Acacia caleyi may ultimately prove to be simply a localised variant of A. decora , distinguished primarily by the spreading, often curved or crisped hairs on its branchlets and raceme axes. In A. decora the raceme axes and peduncles have straight, closely appressed hairs; its phyllodes and branchlets are normally glabrous but if hairs are present (mainly Victorian populations) they are closely appressed.
Type of accepted name
Under Mt Caley [at the southern extremity of the Cocoparra Ra., c. 25 km due NE of Griffith], N.S.W., A.Cunningham s.n .; holo: K, the isotype at K shows this to be Cunningham 414 , collected June 1817.
Synonymy
Acacia podalyriifolia var. caleyi (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Domin, Biblioth. Bot . 89: 257 (1926). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 156, fig. 172a, pl. 172a (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: besides road, 2.2 km–of Mt Caley and 8.5 km NE of Yenda, A.B.Court CBG8506136 (CANB); 9 km N of Naranderra on Barellan road, M.Fox 8208415 & H.Fallding (NSW); 15 km S of Weethalle, W.E.Mulham 1192 (NSW); 8.9 km NE of Yenda, T.M.Tame 3214 (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.
