Acacia eriopoda Maiden & Blakely, J. Roy. Soc. Western Australia 13: 27, pl. 19, figs 10–15 (1928)
Slender, erect shrub or small tree, 1.5–6 m high. Bark smooth to fissured and fibrous, grey-brown. Branchlets angular, soon terete, light to reddish brown, glabrous, often resinous. Phyllodes linear to linear-elliptic, flat, straight to slightly curved, 7–23 cm long, 1.5–5 (–8) mm wide, coriaceous, glabrous, scurfy, with a prominent midnerve and often a subprominent longitudinal nerve either side of it, with 5–9 nonanastomosing minor nerves per mm; gland inconspicuous, basal. Spikes 1.5–4.8 cm long, densely flowered, yellow. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.5–0.75 mm long, dissected to 1/4–1/3, the lobes rounded, densely villous; corolla 1.25–1.5 mm long, dissected to 1/2–2/3, glabrous, with prominent midrib; ovary pubescent, sparsly so at base, villous at apex. Pods submoniliform, with segments fusiform, straight to curved, 6–15 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, thinly woody, longitudinally furrowed, glabrous, slightly resinous when young. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic to broadly elliptic, dorsoventrally flattened, 4–6.5 mm long, dark brown; pleurogram a U-shaped line, surrounded by two pale haloes; areole slightly raised, open, pale.
Occurs in northern W.A., between 17S and 23S, commonly in the vicinity of Broome and in the northern region of the Great Sandy Desert. Usually found in red sand, also in stony sand or sandy loams, in savannah grasslands associated with Triodia , also along creeks. Flowers Apr.–Aug.; fruits July–Sept.
The distinguishing features of A. eriopoda include hairy peduncles, linear erect phyllodes, villous and partly dissected calyces, rounded sepals, longitudinally wrinkled pods and the gradual increase in hairiness of the ovary from base to apex.
Putative hybrids occur: A. eriopoda with A. tumida near Nullagine, W.A. ( L.Thomson LXT 1154 , PERTH) and A. eriopoda with A. trachycarpa at Mt Edger, W.A. ( N.T.Burbidge 1117 , PERTH).
Type of accepted name
Meda, NW Australia, between King Is. and Exmouth Gulf, W.A., Apr. 1916, H.Basedow 7 ; holo: NSW; iso: MEL n.v .
Illustrations
J.H.Maiden & W.F.Blakely, loc. cit .; J.R.Wheeler, in J.R.Wheeler (ed.) et al ., Fl. Kimberley Region 316, fig. 91B (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: c. 30 km E of Willare Bridge (at intersection of Derby Rd with Great Northern Hwy), D.Davidson 11 (PERTH); 37 km from Ardjorie Ruins, on track to Dampier Downs HS, K.F.Kenneally 9164 (NSW, PERTH); Cable Beach, Broome, J.R.Maconochie 1171 (K, NT); along Watrara Ck, Upper Rudall R. area, B.R.Maslin 2057 (NSW, PERTH); Great Northern Hwy, c. 19 miles [30.4 km] E of Fitzroy Crossing, W Kimberleys, 16 July 1974, J.H.Willis & A.C.Beauglehole (MEL, NSW).
(NSW)
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.
