Acacia gordonii (Tindale) Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 246 (1980)
Spreading, often straggling shrub 0.5–1.3 m high, sometimes to 2 m. Branchlets densely pubescent. Phyllodes spirally arranged to subverticillate and on prominent stem-projections, crowded, ascending to erect, straight but recurved at apex, subterete to flat, 10–15 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide, obliquely and excentrically mucronate, green, sometimes asperulate, finely puberulous with antrorse and often tubercle-based hairs, finely longitudinally rugose when dry; nerves not evident. Inflorescences simple, 1 per axil; peduncles 8–15 mm long, stout, densely pubescent, the base ebracteate; heads globular, 20–33-flowered, bright deep golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 1/2–3/4-united. Pods oblong to narrowly oblong, flat, to 5 cm long, 9–15 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, blackish, glabrous, dehiscing unilaterally. Seeds transverse, elliptic, 3–4 mm long, arillate.
Restricted in N.S.W. to the eastern slopes of the Blue Mtns from near Bilpin S to Linden, also near Hornsby (a northern suburb of Sydney). Grows in sand on sandstone in dry sclerophyll forest.
Related to the more northerly A. brunioides which is recognised by its thinner, usually shorter, glabrous phyllodes with frequently only slightly upturned mucros. Sometimes confused with A. baueri subsp. aspera which also grows in the Blue Mtns but that subspecies is readily distinguished by its shorter peduncles, less numerous flowered heads, smaller pods and longitudinal seeds.
Type of accepted name
18 miles [29 km] by road WNW of Windsor, N.S.W., 8 July 1964, E.F.Constable 4932 ; holo: NSW.; iso: A n.v. , BRI, CANB, K n.v. , L n.v. , MEL n.v. , MO, PERTH, UC n.v. , US n.v.
Synonymy
Acacia brunioides subsp. gordonii Tindale, Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 4: 74 (1968). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 71 (1981); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 126, fig. 131, pl. 131 (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: Northern end of fire trail, Linden, Oct. 1964, I.Bowden s.n. (NSW); 4.8 km E of Bilpin, R.Coveny 2997 (BRI, 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.
