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Botanical name

Common name

Aboriginal name

Description

Characteristic features

Distribution and ecology

Flowering and fruiting period

Variation

Affinities

Notes

Conservation status

Origin of name

References

Acacia inaequilatera

Botanical name

Acacia inaequilatera Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 258 (1926)

Common name

Kanji (preferred common name), Camel Bush (Pilbara), Baderi, Fire Wattle, Kanyji Bush and Ranji Bush

Aboriginal name

Bardirri, Budalee or Ganyji (Yindjibarndi), Garran or Bardirri (Ngarluma), Ganyji (Banyjima), Partirri (Nyamal, Nyangumarta), Kanjipirn (Kariyarra), Parnaparna (Putijarra), Kanyji or Bardirri (Marthudunera) and Bardirri or Partirri (Kurrama)

Description

Somewhat gnarled, glabrous shrubs or small trees normally 2-4 m high, frequently with a single, ±crooked trunk and craggy branches. Bark dark grey to black, rough, thick and corky on main trunks, often fire-scared with black ash. Branchlets lightly to conspicuously pruinose. Stipules spiny, sometimes only bases persisting. Phyllodes asymmetrically ovate to elliptic or obovate, sometimes obliquely orbicular, mostly (1.5-) 2-6 (-7) cm long and (6-) 15-35 (-45) mm wide, leathery, variably undulate, dull green to grey-green or bluish grey; the midrib situated near the lower margin; the minor veins forming a net-like reticulum; apex normally acute to acuminate and terminating in a needle-sharp tip. Inflorescences terminal or axillary racemes which extend beyond the phyllodes; raceme axes 5-18 cm long and (together with the peduncles) purple-red and often pruinose; peduncles mostly twinned, 10-20 (-30) mm long; heads globular, 30-40-flowered, yellow or occasionally orange. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free, sometimes shortly united. Pods strongly curved to openly 1½ coiled, irregularly coiled and twisted following dehiscence, strongly raised over seeds and slightly to moderately constricted between them, occasional deep constrictions sometimes occur, 4.5-11 cm long, 6-8 (-10) mm wide, thinly crustaceous to slightly coriaceous, lightly pruinose (when young and at least between the seeds when mature), pale maroon when young but maturing mid-brown or pinkish brown (appearing purplish from a distance). Seeds longitudinally oblique in the pods, obloid to globose, 4-6 mm long, dull (not shiny), dark brown except dull pale yellow associated with the small areole  near base of seed; funicle light brownish, ½ to fully encircling the seed, not expanded into an aril.

Characteristic features

Long-lived somewhat gnarled shrubs or small trees frequently with a single, ±crooked trunk and craggy branches. Bark thick and corky, often fire-scared with black ash. Branchlets pruinose. Stipules spiny. Phyllodes asymmetric with the midrib situated near lower margin, minor veins forming a net-like reticulum, leathery, variably undulate, dull green to grey-green or bluish grey, terminated by a needle-sharp tip. Raceme axes , peduncles and flower buds a very attractive purple-red. Pods strongly curved to openly 1½ coiled. Seeds ½ to fully encircled by funicle.

Distribution and ecology

Occurs in northwest Western Australia from North West Cape and the Pilbara region east to Lake Disappointment; scattered populations are found in the southern Kimberley and from near Balgo south to the Blackstone Range (Western Australia) and further east near the Davenport Range in Northern Territory. Acacia inaequilatera is one of the most common and widespread acacias in the Pilbara and although it is often not uncommon in the places where it grows it does not form dense stands. It is somewhat unrestricted in its topographical distribution across the Pilbara and as noted by Beard (1975) it grows on stony plains and hills in open spinifex country on the Hamersley Plateau; on hard red alkaline soils along the coastal plain; in sand or sandy loam on the alluvial plains of the Fortescue Valley and on basaltic and alkaline soils of the Chichester and Gorge Ranges. Throughout its range in the Pilbara A. inaequilatera grows mostly as an emergent shrub over spinifex often with A. bivenosa to form an open tall shrubland. In Central Australia this species is common in previous Mulga areas recently invaded by spinifex (Latz 1999).

Flowering and fruiting period

Flowers between May and August. Pods with mature seed have been collected in October and November.

Variation

A few specimens with unusually small phyllodes (15-30 mm long, 6-16 mm wide) are found in the Hamersley Range and on Legendre Island in the Dampier Archipelago. The flower heads are normally yellow (but the stamens are red at the base of their filaments); occasionally the heads are orange due to filaments being red throughout and contrasting with the yellow anthers.

Affinities

Acacia trudgeniana has until recently been confounded with A. inaequilatera but it is distinguished by having a different growth form, non-pruinose branchlets, generally paler coloured phyllodes (dull green to sub-glaucous), slightly fewer flowers per head (25-30), less strongly curved pods, shorter funicles which do not encircle the seeds, and a later flowering period (October to probably December). Acacia inaequilatera is also similar to A. marramamba (especially in phyllode shape) which is easily distinguished by its non-corky bark, non-pruinose branchlets and phyllodes, a less branched, more open phyllode reticulum, brownish red flower buds, raceme axes and peduncles, and its seeds which are not encircled by the funicle. Acacia inaequilatera is occasionally confused with A. pyrifolia which normally has a more shrubby growth form, non-corky bark, symmetrically elliptic to orbicular or obovate phyllodes with a central midrib (not obviously close to the lower margin as in A. inaequilatera) and lateral nerves which form a less prominent, more open reticulum, pale-coloured peduncles, raceme axes and flower buds, and short funicles which do not encircle the seeds. These two species sometimes grow together. The above-mentioned four species, along with A. strongylophylla (which does not occur in the Pilbara), comprise the informal 'A. pyrifolia group'.

Notes

Very fire tolerant and rapidly regenerates from seed and resprouts from the base and/or develops epicormic growth following fire. According to Mitchell and Wilcox (1994) A. inaequilatera is a comparatively short-lived species, lasting less than 10 years. These authors also note that sheep will eat it during periods of forage shortage, but cattle rarely consume this species.

Despite its craggy appearance this is a curiously attractive species, especially when in flower. Plants may tend to become somewhat untidy with age especially in the absence of fire to remove minor branches and insect galls which can be relatively abundant.

Viable seed number per pod has been reported to be low (Fox and Dunlop 1983) with an average of only 4-5 viable seeds per pod after unviable seeds (attacked by insects or malformed) were discounted. Similarly seed viability of less that 40% has been reported for this species (Fox and Dunlop 1983) despite the use of standard dormancy breaking pretreatments and fresh seed. Presumably the reliance of a noteworthy and viable seed store is somewhat negated by the resprouting ability of this species. The seeds and immature fruit pods are particularly favoured by galahs and cockatoos.

The seeds were also consumed by the indigenous people of the Pilbara either as raw bush tucker or after roasting on a spinifex fire or were ground into a flour and used for a damper. The soft inner bark (birra) was also boiled in water and the tonic was used to treat sores, scabies and other skin complaints; in former days the bark was burnt and the ash rubbed over the skin of babies to keep them cool (Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation 2003) or to make it 'soft and beautiful' (Young 2007). Ash was also used to treat persistent sores (McGlew and Hughes 1985). According to Young (2007) you could also rub the ash over your skin to hide yourself from the jarru (March fly) and other biting insects as 'they can not find you to bite because you were too black' or at least that is what the old people use to tell her! The plant also exudes and edible gum (ngarrgalha or ngarkarla).

Conservation status

Not considered rare or endangered.

Origin of name

The specific name is derived from the Latin word inaequilatera (with unequal sides) in reference to the extremely asymmetric phyllodes. In the past there has been considerable confusion between A. pyrifolia and A. inaequilatera concerning the application of their common and aboriginal names. This applies particularly to the common names Ranji, Kanji and Camel Bush which have been variously applied to both species. As a consequence it is likely that the past application of at least some of the aboriginal names which were based on these common names have also been incorrect. We have now standardized the use of Ranji (for A. pyrifolia var. pyrifolia) and Kanji (for A. inaequilatera). Furthermore, the aboriginal names that are here applied to these taxa are based on our judgment and with reference to the citation of the scientific name (we were not guided by the common names used in the literature).

References

Beard, J.S. (1975). Vegetation survey of Western Australia - Pilbara. (University of Western Australia Press: Nedlands.)

Fox, J.E.D. and Dunlop, J.N. (1983). Acacia species of the Hamersley Ranges, Pilbara Region of Western Australia. Mulga Research Centre. Occasional Report No. 3. pp. 94. (Western Australian Institute of Technology: Bentley.)

Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation (2003). Wanggalili: Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma Plants. pp. 128. (Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation: Roebourne, Western Australia.)

Latz, P.K. (1999). Pocket Bushtucker: a field guide to the plants of Central Australia and their traditional uses. pp. 215. (IAD Press: Alice Springs.)

Mitchell, A.A. and Wilcox, D.G. (1994). Arid shrubland plants of Western Australia. Edn. 2. pp. 478. (University of Western Australia Press in association with the Department of Agriculture: Perth.)

Young, L. (2007). Lola Young: Medicine Woman and Teacher. Complied by Anna Vitenbergs. pp. 160. (Fremantle Arts Centre Press: Fremantle.)

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