Acacia consobrina R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 7: 189; 186, fig. 1G–I (1990)
Spreading shrub 0.5–1.3 m high. Branchlets puberulous, pilose or villous, the hairs patent or appressed and sometimes golden on young growth. Phyllodes narrowly oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, 2.5–4 cm long, 4–9 mm wide, obtuse-mucronulate, coriaceous to rigid-coriaceous, shortly villous, with many raised main nerves on each face and longitudinally to obliquely anastomosing minor nerves inbetween; gland to 5 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences (1- or) 2-headed racemes, sometimes simple; raceme axes 0.5–4.5 mm long; peduncles 2–6 (- 10) mm long, densely golden- or white-hairy; basal bract persistent; heads globular, 4–6 mm diam., mostly 35–45-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods strongly undulate, to 3 cm long, 6–8 mm wide, thinly coriaceous, villous or pilose. Seeds oblique, broadly ovate, round or oblong-oval, 2.5–3 mm long, glossy, dark brown; aril subapical.
Scattered but locally common from Karlgarin S to Gnowangerup, Chillilup Pool and near Jerramungup in south-western W.A.. The record from Nembudding that was given in the protologue was based on a misidentification of a specimen of A. caesariata . Grows in Eucalyptus low woodland or open shrub mallee, in clayey sand and red clay loam.
A member of the ‘ A. flavipila group’, most nearly related to A. flavipila , differing in proportions of the phyllodes and their venation in particular, but also in the number of flowers per head, and in the fruit size and shape. There is a resemblance also to A. ixiophylla which, besides occurring in eastern Australia, has both stellate and simple hairs on many parts and non-undulate pods. Superficially similar to A. caesariata and (when phyllodes are not especially hairy) to A. verricula.
Type of accepted name
24 km N of Ongerup, W.A., 21 June 1964, K.R.Newbey 395D ; holo: PERTH; iso: BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY.
Synonymy
[ Acacia ixiophylla auct. non Benth.: G.Bentham, Fl. Austral. 2: 387 (1864) p.p. , as to J.Drummond 5 : 13]
Illustration
R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, loc. cit.
Representative collections
W.A.: 1.6 km E of Lake Grace, K.Newbey 1760 (B, BM, G, MO, PERTH); 46.6 km SE of Ongerup, K.Newbey 3382 (AD, BRI, PERTH, W); Karlgarin, Apr. 1968, H.G.Rae s.n. (PERTH).
(RSC)
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.
