Acacia hexaneura P.Lang & R.S.Cowan, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard . 13: 115; 116, fig. 1 & 122, fig. 3 (1990)
Dense, spreading, rigid shrub 1–1.5 m high. Branchlets strongly ribbed when young, with sparse, minute, tubercle-based hairs. Stipules persistent, spinose, straight to slightly recurved, to 1.5 mm long. Phyllodes sessile, mostly patent, linear, straight, compressed, 5–23 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, pungent, rigid, sparsely scabridulous or micro-tuberculate, strongly 6-nerved in all, 2 per face; gland basal. Inflorescences simple, 1 (or 2) per axil; peduncles (3- ) 5–7 (- 9) mm long, appressed-puberulous; heads globular, 4–6 mm diam., 13–25-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, slightly raised over seeds, undulate, curved to irregularly bent and folded, to 9 cm long, 2–3.3 mm wide, crustaceous, sparsely strigose. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic-oblong, 2.5–3.5 mm long, light red-brown to dark greenish grey; aril white.
Restricted to Kimba SE to Cowell, NE Eyre Penin., S.A. Grows in gravelly loam and sand, often on hills, in open mallee scrub and open heath/tall shrubland.
Most clearly related to A. enterocarpa which has shorter, inconspicuous, non-spinose stipules, longer phyllodes with 10–12 nerves, more peduncles per node and regularly, tightly folded pods. Also superficially similar to A. rhigiophylla which has cylindric to obloid heads of tetramerous flowers.
Type of accepted name
45 km S Kimba, Hundred of James, Eyre Penin., S.A., 28 July 1984, G.C.Bishop s.n. ; holo: AD; iso: CANB, PERTH.
Illustrations
P.Lang & R.S.Cowan, loc. cit .; D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 199 (1992).
Representative collection
S.A.: WSW of Rarma Downs HS, P.J.Lang 1809 (PERTH).
(RSC)
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.
