Acacia ephedroides Benth., London J. Bot. 1: 370 (1842)
Shrub or tree 1- 4 m high. Bark ‘Minni-Ritchi’. Branchlets appressed-pubescent. Phyllodes filiform, substraight to shallowly incurved, compressed to terete, 6- 16 cm long, 0.7- 1 mm diam., not rigid, appressed-pubescent (especially on the nerves), with 8 prominent nerves separated by deep furrows. Inflorescences simple, commonly 2 per axil; peduncles 0- 0.5 mm long, densely white-puberulous; heads subglobular to short-cylindrical, 5- 15 long, 5- 6 mm diam., 18- 42-flowered, golden; bracteoles spathulate with fan-shaped blade. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 2/3- 3/4-united. Pods linear, sometimes slightly undulate, straight, to 8 cm long, 4 mm wide, coriaceous, velvety with white or yellow hairs. Seeds longitudinal, broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 3- 3.5 mm long, glossy, brown-black, arillate.
Occurs in the Jarrahdale area, near Manmanning and from Bruce Rock S to Dragon Rocks (c. 45 km S of Hyden), south-western W.A. Usually grows on or around granite outcrops in woodland, scrub and shrubland.
G.Bentham, Fl. Austral. 2: 400 (1864) erroneously described the flowers of this species as ‘mostly 4-merous’. In the same publication he also treated A. filifolia as a synonym of A. ephedroides on the basis of J.Drummond 156 . Acacia filifolia is now regarded as a distinct species.
Seemingly related to A. inophloia which is most readily distinguished by the shaggy bark on the trunks, finely nerved, sericeous phyllodes, solitary peduncles and generally shorter spikes. Also related to A. repanda . Superficially similar to A. sessilispica but not closely related.
Type of accepted name
Near Halfwayhouse, Darling Ra., W.A., 13 Sept. 1839, L.Preiss 974 ; lecto: K, fide R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 27 (1995); isolecto: C, FI, LUND, M, MEL, NSW, NAP, NY, P, PERTH, RO, TCD; Cape Porteray, New Holland, C.Fraser ; paralecto: K, NSW, PERTH, this specimen is possibly A. acuminata subsp. burkittii .
Illustration
M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 221 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Canning Dam, B.R.Maslin 1704 (K, PERTH); c. 5 km due S of Camel Peaks, B.R.Maslin 5771 (K, MEXU, PERTH); 14.5 km E of Manmanning, B.H.Smith 234 (PERTH).
(RSC & 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.
