Acacia harveyi Benth., Fl. Austral. 2: 368 (1864)
Commonly an obconic, dense shrub 2–4 m high. Branchlets finely ribbed, glabrous. Phyllodes crowded, mostly ascending to erect, linear, straight to shallowly incurved, commonly 5–12 cm long and 1–3.5 mm wide, uncinate, thin, glabrous; midrib prominent; lateral nerves absent or obscure; gland inconspicuous, usually 3–15 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences 3–8-headed racemes; raceme axes commonly 10–25 mm long, appressed-puberulous with pale yellow or white hairs; peduncles 3–4 (- 6) mm long; heads globular, 3.5–4.5 mm diam., densely 20–30-flowered, cream or lemon yellow; bracteoles white-fimbriolate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united. Pods narrowly oblong, scarcely constricted between seeds, to c. 8 cm long, usually 5–6 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, 4–4.5 mm long, dull, black; funicle filiform, 1/2–3/4 encircling seed in a single fold, red-brown; aril thick.
Occurs principally in the Fitzgerald R. Natl Park (SW of Ravensthorpe) but extending W to near Stirling Ra. (E of Cranbrook) and E to Munglinup (c. 75 km due ESE of Ravensthorpe), south-western W.A. Grows in rocky clay, sand or loam, often along watercourses, in eucalypt woodland and scrub. Flowers Mar.- May and July- Oct.
A variant (not included in above description) appears to be intermediate between this species and A. aestivalis (e.g. K.Newbey 9730 , PERTH). It forms dense populations in disturbed sites near Ravensthorpe and has pods 7–9 mm wide and glands normally 15–30 mm above the pulvinus.
The Preiss 941 specimen referred to in the protologue is A. cupularis .
A member of the ‘ A. microbotrya group’ nearest the more northerly A. aestivalis which has often broader phyllodes with the gland farther from the pulvinus, golden flower-heads, golden-fimbriolate bracteoles and broader pods. Acacia harveyi is also related to A. chamaeleon and A. chrysella ; it is sometimes confused with A. crassiuscula .
Type of accepted name
Between King George’s Sound and Cape Riche, W.A., Mar. 1854, W.H.Harvey s.n .; lecto: K, fide B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 195 (1995); isolecto: K, MEL, PERTH; paralecto: see A. aestivalis .
Representative collections
W.A.: Hamersley R., Fitzgerald R. Natl Park, M.I.H.Brooker 2749 (B, PERTH, W); 61 km S of Jerramungup towards Albany, B.R.Maslin 2594 (AD, G, PERTH); 0.8 km E of Mara bridge over Pallinup R., K.Newbey 3023 (BRI, K, MEL, NY, PERTH); c. 102 km from Esperance on Esperance- Ravensthorpe hwy at turnoff to Fuss Rd, A.Strid 22430 (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.
