Acacia microcalyx Maslin, Nuytsia 1: 323; 320, fig. 4C, 324, fig. 6 & 330, fig. 9 (1974)
Much-branched, rounded, glabrous shrub 1.5–3 m high. Branchlets rigid, ascending to erect, rather straight and sparingly divided, obscurely ribbed, grey-green to ash-grey, pale green when young, somewhat spinose. Phyllodes distant and few, often shed upon collection, linear, 2–4 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, scarcely pungent, colour as on branchlets; midrib obscure. Inflorescences 2–4-headed racemes, sometimes simple and 1-headed; raceme axes 2–15 mm long; peduncles 7–15 mm long; heads globular, loosely 14–16-flowered, cream. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united, truncate, 1/4 or less length of corolla. Pods rounded over seeds and slightly to prominently constricted between them, to 20 cm long, c. 1 cm wide, thinly coriaceous, brown. Seeds longitudinal, globose to broadly oblong-elliptic, 8–9 mm long, shiny, dark brown, arillate.
Most common in the Shark Bay district but extending inland to Mt Magnet, near Paynes Find and Belele Stn, W.A. Grows on plains and floodplains in soils ranging from sand to clay, in Acacia scrub or with Atriplex spp. or Halosarcia spp.
Habit and branchlets similar to that of A. wilcoxii and A. exocarpoides but distinguished by flat phyllodes and much larger pods and seeds.
Type of accepted name
28 miles [45 km] W of Overlander [Roadhouse] on Shark Bay road, W.A., 19 Feb. 1962, A.S.George 3241 ; holo: PERTH; iso: K.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, op. cit . 324, fig. 6.
Representative collections
W.A.: 26 parallel, North West Coastal Hwy, T.E.H.Aplin 5214 (CANB, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); Belele Stn NW of Meekatharra, R.Hacker (PERTH); 57.5 km SE of Yalgoo towards Paynes Find, B.R.Maslin 4252 (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.
