Acacia melleodora Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 205 (1978)
Waxy Wattle
Glabrous, resinous, viscid shrub 1–4 m high. Branchlets often sparsely tuberculate. Phyllodes obovate to oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly elliptic, 1.5–4 (–5) cm long, (3–) 4–11 mm wide, l:w = 3–6, obtuse, mucronulate, coriaceous to thinly coriaceous, normally sparsely tuberculate, green, grey-green or glaucous, the resin sometimes drying white, with 2 or 3 prominent longitudinal nerves, the secondary nerves forming a reticulum; basal gland elongate, c. 1.5 mm long, an obscure, smaller gland at base of the minute apical mucro. Inflorescences simple, 1–3 per axil; peduncles 1–2 (–3) cm long, the base ebracteate; heads globular or obloid, 5–6 (–8) mm diam. when dry, densely 30–40-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united almost to their apices. Pods stipitate, narrowly oblong, flat, raised over seeds alternately on each side, to 9 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, firmly chartaceous, often vernicose. Seeds transverse, c. 4 mm long, arillate.
Widespread and common in the N and central Arid Zone where it extends from the Pilbara region in W.A. eastwards through central and southern N.T. and north-western S.A. to central Qld. Grows in deep red or red-brown siliceous sand, on dunes or interdunal areas; sometimes found on shallow stony soils.
Acacia melleodora , A. jensenii and A. sabulosa may ultimately prove to be better placed as infraspecific taxa of A. dictyophleba . Acacia jensenii and A. sabulosa are most readily distinguished from both A. dictyophleba and A . melleodora by their generally more elongate and predominantly 1-nerved phyllodes. Acacia melleodora is especially close to A. dictyophleba and in W.A. at least some intermediates appear to occur.
Phyllodes sometimes resemble those of A. montana which is distinguished by its generally hairy branchlets and pods, shorter peduncles with a persistent basal bract and longitudinal seeds.
The Aboriginal use of ‘A. dictyophleba’ in central Australia is discussed by P.Latz, Bushfires & Bushtucker 96 (1995) and it is probable that most of the information contained in this account refers to A. melleodora .
Type of accepted name
Charters Towers- Clermont road, c. 171 miles [275 km] from Charters Towers, Qld, May 1960, Johnson 1909 ; holo: BRI n.v ., fide L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 205 (1978) .
Synonymy
Racosperma melleodorum (Pedley) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 352 (1987).
Illustrations
F. von Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 8 (1887), as to fruit images.
Representative collections
W.A.: Upper Rudall R. area, B.R.Maslin 2093 (MEL, PERTH). N.T.: Heavitree Gap Ra. near Mt Gillen, M.Lazarides 5330 (BRI, NT, PERTH). S.A.: c. 4.5 km ESE of Ampeinnia Hills, D.J.E.Whibley 6375 (AD, PERTH). Qld: 3 km E of Windorah towards Quilpie, M.E.Ballingall 2270 (BRI, 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.
