Acacia hamersleyensis Maslin, Nuytsia 4: 90; 92, fig. 8 & 101, fig. 11 (1982)
Spreading, shrubby tree to 4 m high, sometimes spindly. New shoots pale citron-sericeous, soon glabrous. Branchlets sometimes pruinose, glabrous. Phyllodes narrowly elliptic, slightly asymmetric with upper margin more convex than lower, straight or shallowly falcate, (5- ) 8–14 cm long, 7–15 mm wide, acuminate, coriaceous, glaucous to subglaucous, glabrous, multistriate by fine, close, non-anastomosing nerves with 1–3 slightly more prominent than the rest; pulvinus pale orange, mostly 5–10 mm long. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil, often in false terminal racemes due to phyllode reduction; peduncles 3–10 mm long, thick, sparsely puberulous; spikes 3–6 cm long, 6–8 mm diam., dense, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 1/3–2/3-united, the calyx tube white-villous. Pods narrowly oblong, to 8 cm long, 5–8 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, slightly undulate, short-pilose with hairs pale golden ageing white. Seeds oblique, oblong to elliptic, 4–4.5 mm long, glossy, grey-brown; aril pale yellow.
Restricted to Hamersley Ra. area, extending from Newman W to Paraburdoo and N to near Mt Brockman, W.A. Grows in iron-rich soils on ridges and upper slopes of ranges, sometimes forming groves along watercourses descending from ranges, occurring with Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus spp. in spinifex country.
Superficially similar to A. tumida which differs most readily in its narrower spikes arranged in racemes and its longitudinally wrinkled, glabrous or subglabrous pods. Another similar species, A. citrinoviridis , has generally narrower, more falcate, appressed-puberulous (until intermediate age) phyllodes, densely puberulous peduncles and sericeous pods. Acacia xiphophylla is also superficially similar. Acacia daweana may have originated as a hybrid between A. effusa and A. hamersleyensis .
Type of accepted name
Rhodes Ridge, Hamersley Ra., W.A., 10 Aug. 1973, M.E.Trudgen 391 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, op. cit. 92, fig. 8.
Representative collections
W.A.: upper slopes of Mt Nameless, Tom Price, K.Atkins 1225 (K, PERTH) and 1240 (MEL, PERTH); Wittenoom Gorge, 4 km S of township, B.R.Maslin 4630 (PERTH); Rhodes Ridge, 53.5 km NW of Newman on road to Juna Downs, B.R.Maslin 4609 (PERTH); Mt Whaleback, Newman, K.Walker 95 (CANB, MEL, NSW, 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.
