Acacia cerastes Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 173 (1995)
Much-branched, intricate, glabrous shrub to 1.5 m high. Branchlets tortuous, terete, striate, green or brown. Phyllodes rudimentary, reduced to minute, continuous, terete, horn-like projections to 1 mm long, usually recurved, with nerves not evident or very obscure on either side of the gland, terminated adaxially by a prominent, oblique gland, the mucro 0.5- 1 mm long, rigid and subulate but not pungent. Inflorescences rudimentary 1-headed racemes with axes <0.5 mm long and brown bracts persistent at base; peduncles 3–4 mm long; heads globular, 30-flowered, golden; bracteoles dark brown, slightly exserted in buds. Flowers predominantly 5-merous; sepals free or partially united, linear to linear-spathulate, sometimes unequal. Pod valves (dehisced) linear, constricted between seeds and obviously rounded over them, to 4.5 cm long, 3- 4 mm wide, thinly coriaceous. Seeds not seen.
Known only from Mount Gibson and Ninghan Stns, W.A, where it occurs on rocky hills.
Related to A. daviesioides and superficially resembling A. restiacea .
Type of accepted name
Mount Gibson Stn, between Wubin and Paynes Find, W.A., 29 Aug. 1976, B.R.Maslin 4226 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K.
Representative collections
W.A.: Mount Gibson, E of Perenjori, Nov. 1952, C.A.Gardner s.n . (MEL, PERTH); Warrdegga Hill, Ninghan Stn, c. 20 km SW of Paynes Find, S.Patrick 1111 (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.
