Acacia mitchellii Benth. (as Mitcheli ), London J. Bot . 1: 387 (1842)
Shrub 0.5–2 m high. Bark smooth. Branchlets terete, obscurely to moderately ridged, slightly resinous, pubescent. Young foliage-tips fawn. Leaves pale green, eglandular, subsessile with basal pinnae arising immediately above or near pulvinus; rachis 0.1–1.5 (–3) cm long, terete or furrowed above, with short and long hairs; pinnae 1–5 (–6) pairs, to 0.2–1.2 cm long; pinnules 2–7 pairs, narrowly oblong to oblong, obovate or sometimes elliptic, 2–5 (–7) mm long, 1–1.7 (–2.5) mm wide, 1-veined, glabrous, apex obtuse, apiculate. Inflorescences simple, 1–3 in leaf-axils, sometimes falsely racemose at ends of branchlets. Heads 30–45-flowered, pale yellow to white. Pods sometimes slightly constricted between a few seeds, straight to strongly curved, 1.5–8 cm long, 4–8 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, brown, grey-brown to blackish, glabrous.
Restricted to a few areas on the Northern Tablelands of N.S.W., common in central and western Vic., especially the Grampians, and only near Mount Gambier in S.A. Grows in open forest, woodland and open scrub-heath or in swampy areas, in gravelly or sandy soils. Flowers irregularly, mainly Nov.–Mar.; fruits Oct.–Apr.
This species was formerly placed in sect. Pulchellae , a group restricted to W.A. It differs, however, in the free sepals and probably eglandular leaves as well as the longitudinal seeds, ebracteate peduncle bases and firmly chartaceous pods (rare in sect. Pulchellae ).
There are differences in stem, leaf and pod characters between the disjunct N.S.W. and other populations, which requires further investigation.
Type of accepted name
Interior of New South Wales, Mitchell (in protologue); possible syn: Mount Zero, Vic., [ T.L .] Mitchell , ?K n.v., based on G.Bentham, Fl. Aust. 2: 417 (1864).
Illustrations
D.A.Morrison & S.J.Davies, in G.J.Harden (ed.), Fl. New South Wales 2: 384 (1991); D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 299 (1992).
Representative collections
S.A.: Caroline State Forest, R.Bates 558 (AD, NSW). N.S.W.: Guy Fawkes near Cathedral Rocks, J.L.Boorman (B, BRI, K, MO, NSW2830, PERTH, TL, US); near Waratah Trig area, Gibraltar Ra., M.D.Tindale 2066 (AD, CANB, K, PERTH, TL). Vic.: 11.3 km N of Portland, J.Anderson 374 (MEL, NSW); 1 km NNE of Perry R., Gippsland, F.E.Davies 611, M.J.Winsbury & S.Donaldson (AD, MEL, NSW).
(MDT & PGK)
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.
