Acacia nitidula Benth., Fl. Austral. 2: 381 (1864)
Shrub 0.6–2 m high. Branchlets slightly angled apically, sparsely appressed-puberulous or glabrous. Stipules caducous, subulate, 1–1.5 mm long. Phyllodes ascending, narrowly oblanceolate, straight to slightly incurved, 1.5–3 cm long, mostly 2–5 mm wide, obtuse, mucronulate, glabrous, 2-nerved per face; adaxial margin with 2 nerves for 1/4–1/2 length of phyllode, the nerves coalescing near the gland. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 7–11 mm long, glabrous; basal bract caducous, cucullate, rostriform, glabrous; heads globular, 3.5–4 mm diam., 20-flowered, golden; bracteoles spathulate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free, spathulate. Pods linear, undulate, to 4.5 cm long, 4–4.5 mm wide, coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, widely elliptic, 3 mm long, dull, obscurely mottled brown; aril subterminal.
Restricted to Cape Arid Natl Park and Middle Is. just off the coast, south-western W.A. Grows in association with granite among boulders and in granitic gravel.
A member of the ‘ A. sulcata group’. Related to the more northerly distributed A. dura which has normally linear phyllodes with a single adaxial nerve and pods constricted between seeds. A . nitidula is perhaps nearest the compressed-phyllode element of A. sulcata var. platyphylla which has terete to compressed, shorter and narrower phyllodes. Also similar to some forms of A. mutabilis subsp. mutabilis which has, quite regularly 5-nerved phyllodes, and larger, shiny, black seeds with a terminal, conical aril. Possibly related as well to A. deflexa and A. gemina .
Type of accepted name
Cape Arid, W.A., G.Maxwell ; lecto: K, fide R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, Nuytsia 9: 72 (1993); isolecto: NSW, PERTH (Fragment ex K); Goose Is. Bay, W.A., R.Brown ; paralecto: n.v .; Swan R., W.A., J.Drummond 128 ; paralecto: K, PERTH (Fragment ex K), identity unknown, fide R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin, loc. cit .
Representative collections
W.A.: Cape Arid, C.A.Gardner 12953 (PERTH); c. 1- 2 km NNE of mouth of Thomas R., near Belinup Hill, A.S.Weston 7614 (AD, PERTH); Middle Is., A.S.Weston 8887 (PERTH).
(RSC)
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.
