Acacia monticola J.M.Black, Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. South Australia 61: 246 (1937)
Multistemmed, resinous, shrub or tree to 5 (–8) m high. Bark ‘Minni Ritchi’, red-brown or grey. Branchlets angular towards apices, lenticellate between ridges; ridges crenulated, brown, puberulous. Phyllodes rotund, broadly obovate, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, oblique, flat, 1–3.2 cm long, (4–) 5–15 mm wide, broadly rounded, retuse or acute, often mucronulate, with conspicuous stomates, coriaceous, puberulous on nerves and margins, with 3–5 longitudinal nerves reaching apex and base, minor nerves anastomosing to form a fine reticulum; gland 1, prominent, to 3 mm above pulvinus. Heads globular to obloid, 6–10 mm diam., rarely spicate, to 2.2 cm long, yellow. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.6–1.4 mm long, dissected to 1/3–1/2, with fimbriolate margins; corolla 1.6–4 mm long, dissected to 1/3–1/2, striate, glabrous; ovary hispid, densely papillose. Pods narrowly oblong, slightly indented, flat except slightly raised over seeds, 1.8–10 cm long, 7–14.5 mm wide, coriaceous, transverse to obliquely nerved, hispid, viscid; margins prominent, tuberculate. Seeds transverse or slightly oblique, broadly oblong-to oblong-elliptic, 4–6.2 mm long, dark brown; areole small, closed, surrounding by a broad pale halo.
Widespread in W.A. and N.T. (between 14S and 24S), E to c. 140E in central western Qld. Grows mainly on ironstone or sandstone/quartzite in stony skeletal soils, often on rocky ridges or steep slopes, in red sand or sandy loam, in eucalypt woodland, open Acacia shrubland or spinifex communities. Flowers Apr.–Aug.
Acacia monticola has a striate corolla which is uncommon. It is one of the transitional species between the Plurinerves and Juliflorae . It has a ‘Minni Ritchi’ bark as in A. chisholmii and A. lysiphloia with which it hybridises freely. Examples of A. monticola x A. chisholmii hybrids: Mount Isa, Qld, C.H.Gittins 748 (NSW); L. Moondarra, Qld, R.G.Coveny 476 (NSW). Example of A. monticola x A. lysiphloia hybrid: 3.2 km N of Powell Ck, N.T., J.R.Maconochie 1738 (NSW, NT). Hybrids with A. tumida are also known to occur. Acacia phlebocarpa is similar in some respects to A. monticola but the two species are probably not closely related.
Details of ecology, utilisation, etc. of A. monticola are given in J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 168 (1986).
Type of accepted name
Sturts [Sturt] Creek, [W.A./N.T.], F.Mueller 8 ; syn: MEL; dividing tableland between Sturts [Sturt] Creek, and Victoria R., [W.A./N.T.], 26 Mar. 1856, F.Mueller 83 ; syn: MEL, PERTH (Fragment ex MEL); isosyn: K; on cliffs, Victoria R., [N.T.], Oct. 1855, F.Mueller 82 ; syn: MEL, PERTH (Fragment ex MEL).
Synonymy
Acacia monticola is based on the following: A. impressa F.Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 3: 133 (1859), nom. illeg. , non Lindl. (1827); Racosperma monticola (J.M.Black) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 352 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, in J.Jessop (ed.), Fl. Centr. Australia 123, fig. 160C (1981); M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 1: 213 (1987); B.R.Maslin & M.W.McDonald, A key to useful Australian acacias for the seasonally dry tropics , CSIRO, 50 & 51 (1996).
Representative collections
W.A.: 18 miles [28.8 km] E of Margaret R. Stn, Kimberleys, M.Lazarides 6325 (CANB, NSW); Ganthaume Pt area, Broome, P.G.Wilson 882 & R.Rowe (BRI, CANB, NSW, PERTH). N.T.: False Mt Russell, J.R.Maconochie 917 (NSW, NT), long spicate inflorescences. Qld: L. Moondarra, Mount Isa, R.G.Coveny 478 (NSW); New Highland Plains HS, N.M.Henry 219 (NSW, NT).
(NSW)
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.
