Acacia clelandii Pedley (ms), to be published in Appendix to Fl. Australia vol. 11 (2001)
Spreading shrub to 5 m tall. Branchlets with appressed white hairs between yellowish resinous ribs and scattered red-glandular hairs on new growth. Phyllodes terete or subterete, occasionally flat, straight or slightly curved, 5–12.5 (–15.5 ) cm long, 1–1.5 (–1.8) mm diam., appressed pubescent between fine longitudinal nerves. Inflorescences usually single in axils; peduncles 4–9 mm long; spikes 10–25 mm long. Flowers 5-merous; sepals spathulate 0.6–1 mm long, free or shortly united, with long hyaline hairs on margins in upper half; corolla 1.3–1.4 mm long, rarely to 2 mm, with at least a few hairs in upper part; stamens 2.5–3 mm long; ovary with longish ± appressed white hairs. Pods not stipitate, oblong, flat, straight, 25–50 mm long, 6–10 mm wide, not winged, cartilaginous, brown, longitudinally reticulately nerved. Seeds ± longitudinal, oblong, 4–6 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide; aril small, terminal, pileate, pale.
Confined to S.A. (apparently common in Gawler Ranges) and adjoining parts of W.A. and N.T., with one isolated occurrence at ‘MacDonald Downs’ Stn in the N.T. and Lorna Glen Stn in W.A. Habitat data are scanty, but the species is recorded from sandy soil, including dunes, and rocky hills.
Most closely related to A. brachystachya which has similar flowers but differs in its usually terete or subterete phyllodes and flat pods with cartilaginous valves. It has previously been identified as A. brachystachya or, more recently, A. cibaria .
Type of accepted name
Southern Arm of L. Everard, Eyre Penin., S.A., 28 Sept. 1972, J.Z.Weber 3206 ; holo: AD; iso: CANB, MEL.
Representative collections
W.A.: Giles Ck, S of Rawlinson Ranges, 22 June 1960, J.B.Cleland s.n. (AD). N.T.: Hale R., Simpson Desert, P.K.Latz 7500 (NT); Anacoora Bore, 30 June 1987, G.H.Clarke (AD). S.A.: Musgrave Ranges, west end, 19 Aug. 1954 & 20 Aug.1954, J.B.Cleland s.n. (AD); Lagoon Ck, Mabel Creek Waterhole, 28 Sept. 1988, A.C.Robinson (AD, DNA).
(LP)