Acacia ixiophylla Benth., London J. Bot . 1: 364 (1842)
Spreading shrub 1–4 m high. Branchlets minutely pilose with mixed stellate and simple hairs, often viscid. Phyllodes patent, narrowly oblong to elliptic, mostly 2–4.5 cm long, 2–10 mm wide, acute to obtuse, coriaceous, with sparse to moderately dense, simple or stellate hairs, occasionally glabrous, viscid, with 3–7 distant, raised (2 or 3 more raised) main nerves and loosely anastomosing minor nerves; gland basal. Inflorescences 2- or 3-headed racemes; raceme axes 2–6 mm long; peduncles 2–5 mm long, densely minutely pilose to tomentulose with white hairs; heads globular, 5–9 mm diam., 20–45-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, constricted between seeds, curved or slightly coiled, to 7 cm long, 2–5 mm wide, thin-crustaceous, puberulous basally and marginally. Seeds longitudinal, oblong to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 4–5 mm long, glossy, brown-black; aril apical.
Predominantly along the western slopes and plains of the Great Divide from Mt Wilson, N.S.W., N to Miles, Qld, but with sporadic occurrences as far N as Alpha and near Jericho, Qld. Favours sandy and gravelly soil, with Callitris , Casuarina or Eucalyptus .
In the past there has been much confusion surrounding A. ixiophylla , a species which is now shown to be confined to eastern Australia. J.H.Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New South Wales 49: 502–512 (1916), discussed the confusion between A. ixiophylla and A. montana . L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 203 (1978), agreed with Maiden’s conclusion that Baker misapplied the name A. ixiophylla to A. montana and that Baker’s A. fuliginea is conspecific with A. ixiophylla . As shown by R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 189 & 197 (1990), the Drummond 5: 13 specimen (which was referred to by Maiden) is A. consobrina while A. glutinosa is an ambiguous name possibly referable to A. verricula . The ‘A. ixiophylla’ referred to by B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 329 (1974), in the discussion under A. redolens was subsequently described as A. verricula .
A member of the ‘ A. flavipila group’ and related to A. verricula which differs most obviously by the absence of stellate hairs on its branchlets and phyllodes, its type of phyllode venation and its gland being clearly removed from the pulvinus. Seemingly close to A. lanei and A. spongolitica , and superficially similar to A. consobrina and A. montana .
Type of accepted name
N of Liverpool Plains, N.S.W., July 1827, A.Cunningham s.n .; holo: K; iso: K, PERTH (Fragment ex K)
Synonymy
Racosperma ixiophyllum (Benth.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 350 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Acacia venulosa var. lanata Benth., London J. Bot . 1: 367 (1842). Type: Mt Dangar, Hunter’s [Hunter] R., N.S.W., July 1827, A.Cunningham 91 ; syn: K; Hunters R., A.Cunningham 98 ; syn: K (see R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 72 (1995), for discussion).
Acacia fuliginea R.T.Baker, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 31: 712, pl. 65 (1907). Type: Bylong Ranges, N.S.W., Nov. 1892, R.T.Baker ; probable syn: NSW216927 (L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 202, 1978, regarded this as the holotype).
Doubtful name
Acacia ixiophylla Hort. ex Jacques: see Doubtful Names.
Illustrations
B.A.Lebler, Wildfl. SE Queensland 2: 68 (1981); L.F.Costermans, Native Trees & Shrubs SE Australia 324 (1981); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 219 (1981); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 79, fig. 65, pl. 65 (1992).
Representative collections
N.S.W.: Genowlan Mtn, 11.2 km NE of Capertee, E.F.Constable 5035 (NSW, PERTH). Qld: 68.7 km E of Inglewood on Cunningham Hwy, I.B.Armitage 1372 (NSW, PERTH); Miles, R.Coveny 455 (NSW, PERTH); 11.2 km SW of Alpha Stn, L.Adams 1341 (CANB n.v. , 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.
