Acacia curvata Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 148; 149, fig. 2 & 160, fig. 7 (1977)
Harsh, much-branched shrub to 1.5 m high. Branchlets densely puberulous. Stipules caducous or persistent, scarious. Phyllodes crowded, sessile to subsessile, acinaciform, strongly recurved, 10–20 mm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, pungent, rigid, glabrous, with 3 prominent, distant main nerves. Inflorescences simple, commonly 1 per axil; peduncles 5–9 mm long, glabrous; basal bract 1–1.5 mm long, brown; heads globular, 3–3.5 mm diam., 13–25-flowered, golden; bracteoles minute. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, raised over seeds, strongly curved, to 5 cm long, 4–4.5 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous-crustaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, nearly round to subquadrate, turgid, c. 2.5 mm long and wide, slightly shiny, dark brown; aril subapical.
Occurs from Ravensthorpe to S of Kundip and E to Munglinup, also in the Scaddan- Wittenoom Hills area, W.A. Grows in clay, clay loam or lateritic gravel, mostly in open scrub.
Related to A. campylophylla which has branchlets glabrous, stipules spinose, phyllodes continuous with the branchlets, bracteoles spathulate, acuminate and strongly exserted in buds, and pods straight. Perhaps with affinities to A. acellerata .
Type of accepted name
8.8 km SE of Kundip, W.A., 24 July 1965, K.Newbey 1765 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NY.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, op. cit . 149, fig. 2; M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 41 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Wittenoom Hills, T.Daniells s.n. (PERTH00713465); S of Ravensthorpe, A.S.George 4422 (MEL, PERTH); c. 20 km SW of Scaddan, B.R.Maslin 2527 (PERTH); Munglinup area, B.R.Maslin 4482 (PERTH).
(RSC & BRM)