Acacia delphina Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 322; 323, fig. 19 & 330, fig. 24 (1978)
Dolphin Wattle
Shrub 0.5–1 m high. Bark grey. Branchlets puberulous or appressed-puberulous, glabrescent. Phyllodes rather crowded, inequilateral, cresent-shaped and acuminate with a conspicuous, triangular, gland-bearing spur on adaxial margin, sometimes obdeltate, 7–16 mm long, 3–10 mm wide, pungent, glabrous; midrib central or near abaxial margin; gland on a conspicuous angle on upper margin of phyllode, overtopped by a spinule. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 1–7 mm long, glabrous; heads obloid to short-cylindrical, densely 18–32-flowered, pale yellow or golden. Flowers 4-merous; sepals c. 1/4-united, the lobes oblong. Pods moniliform, straight or shallowly curved, to 4.5 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, brown, glabrous or subglabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to elliptic, 3–4 mm long, dull, brown; aril terminal, conical.
Occurs in near-coastal areas from the Pallinup R. E to Israelite Bay, south-western W.A. Grows on flats (rarely on slopes) in sand or loam, in low open woodland or tall shrubland.
The taxonomic affinities of this species are unknown, fide B.R. Maslin, op. cit. 324. It is unique within Acacia on account of the small, cusp-like mucro which overtops the gland. Other distinguishing characters are its obloid to short-cylindrical heads with 18–32 tetramerous flowers and moniliform, firmly chartaceous pods.
Type of accepted name
3.4 km N of Hopetoun, W.A., 24 July 1965, K.Newbey 1616D ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NY.
Illustration
B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 323, fig. 19 (1978).
Representative collections
W.A.: c. 7 km W of Israelite Bay, A.S.George 16009 (PERTH); c. 1 km due S of Mt Maxwell, Fitzgerald R. Natl Park, B.R.Maslin 3486 (AD, BRI, CANB, G, K, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); 25 km NW of Point Irby, K.Newbey 4930 (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.
