Acacia gracillima Tindale, Telopea 1: 74 (1975)
Shrub or tree to 4 m high. Bark ‘Minni Ritchi’, dark red. Branchlets angular; ridges scarcely pubescent. Phyllodes linear, slightly tapering towards base, curved, 3.5–9 cm long, 0.5–1.5 (–2) mm wide, with yellowish appressed hairs, with 1 prominent nerve closer to dorsal margin and 2 obscure subprominent longitudinal nerves; lenticels prominent; gland 1, minute, basal, 0.4–3 mm above pulvinus. Spikes 2–4 cm long, dense, bright yellow. Flowers 5-merous; calyx inconspicuous, 0.2–0.5 mm long, dissected to c. 1/2, fimbriolate; corolla c. 1.5 mm long, dissected to c. 1/2, glabrous. Pods linear, constricted between seeds, 4–9 cm long, greenish brown, obscurely reticulate, villous especially when young, viscid. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, compressed, brown to black; areole small, dark, surrounded by a closed pleurogram and wide, pale halo.
Restricted to the Kimberley region of W.A., particularly in the King Leopold Ra. Grows in savannah grasslands or on steep rocky slopes, often amongst quartzite. Flowers May–July.
Specimens with phyllodes to 2 mm wide (e.g. Bennett 1881 and Kenneally 8316 ) require further investigation.
This is one of a small number of Acacia species with ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark and appears to be most closely related to A. trachycarpa ; other relatives include A. chisholmii , A effusa and A. affin. trachycarpa .
Type of accepted name
Bold Bluff, W Kimberley, W.A., May 1905, W.V.Fitzgerald 1131 ; holo: NSW; iso: K, PERTH.
Illustrations
M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 2: 215 & pls 12 & 13 (1988).
Representative collections
W.A.: Mt Bell, King Leopold Ra., E.M.Bennett 1881 (NSW, PERTH); Isdell Gorge in Isdell Ra., W Kimberley, D.Fell 276 (NSW, PERTH); Lachlan Is., Buccaneer Archipelago, W Kimberley Coast, K.F.Kenneally 8316 (NSW, PERTH); Inglis Gap, I.V.Newman 638 (NSW); Inglis Gap, T.Willing 86 (NSW, PERTH).
(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.
