Acacia depressa Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 422, fig. 10 & 492, map 11 (1975)
Echidna Wattle
Prostrate, forming mats to 5 cm high and 0.5 m or more across. Branchlets spinose, sparsely appressed-puberulous. Leaves bipinnate, glabrous; pinnae 1 pair, 2- 4 mm long; petiole 3- 4 mm long; pinnules 3- 4 pairs, narrowly oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 2- 3 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, asymmetrically narrowed at apex, milky green to subglaucous; gland near distal end of petiole, sessile. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 10- 20 mm long, glabrous or appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 12- 15-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 3/4-united. Pods narrowly oblong, 1- 2 cm long, c. 3 mm wide, firmly chartaceous; margins somewhat thickened. Seeds not seen.
Highly localised near Lake Grace, south-western W.A. Grows on laterite hills in scrub, open heath and low shrubland. Gazetted a rare species in W.A. Flowers Dec.- Jan.
A distinctive species on account of its prostrate habit, spinescent branchlets and unijugate leaves with long petioles. Precise affinities to other members of sect. Pulchellae are unclear, fide P.Guinet et al. , Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 80: 53- 68 (1980).
Type or accepted name
Type: 6 miles [9.6 km] E of Kukerin, W.A., 20 Dec. 1964, K.Newbey 1620 ; holo: PERTH; iso: K, MEL, NSW, PERTH.
Synonymy
Acacia depressa is based on the following: Acacia echinata Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 256; 257, fig. 2 & 259, fig. 4 (1972), non G.Don (1832). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, loc. cit ., as A. echinata .
Representative collection
W.A.: type locality, M.D.Tindale 170 & B.R.Maslin (NSW, 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.
