Acacia notabilis F.Muell., Fragm . 1: 6 (1858)
Notable Wattle , Flinders Wattle , Stiff Golden Wattle
Bushy spreading shrub to 3 m high. Branchlets dark red-brown, glabrous. Phyllodes narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate, 6–13 cm long, 8–25 mm wide, normally obtuse, coriaceous, grey-green to glaucous, glabrous; midrib and marginal nerves prominent; lateral nerves obscure; gland normally 0–3 mm above pulvinus; pulvinus 2–6 mm long. Inflorescences mostly racemose; raceme axes 2–6 cm long, robust, glabrous; peduncles 2.5–6 mm long, rather stout, glabrous; heads globular, 27–36-flowered, bright golden; bracteole laminae evident in buds, dark brown to black, white-fimbriolate. Flowers 5-merous; sepals at least c. 3/4- united. Pods stipitate, narrowly oblong, raised on opposite sides over alternate seeds, to 7 cm long, 8–13 mm wide, firmly chartaceous to slightly coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds transverse, oblong-elliptic, 4–7 mm long; funicle encircling seed, dark red-brown; aril clavate.
Extends from the Gawler Ra. and southern Eyre Penin. and Yorke Penin. to Arkaba Stn in the Flinders Ra. and near the Murray R., S.A., also near Nathalia and Meringur, Vic., and near Menindee and Broken Hill, N.S.W. Grows in sand or rocky sites in low woodland or open scrub.
A member of the ‘ Acacia microbotrya group’ related to A. anceps which is distinguished by its non-racemose inflorescences, peduncles 1–2.5 cm, heads 50–130-flowered, and crustaceous to woody pods. Putative hybrids occur between these two species on Eyre Penin., S.A., fide B.R.Maslin & D.J.E.Whibley, Nuytsia 6: 26 (1987). In the past this species has sometimes been confused with A. alcockii . It is also related to A. toondulya .
The N.S.W. specimen cited under A. notabilis by G.Bentham, Fl.Austral. 2: 365 (1864) is A. beckleri .
Type of accepted name
Spencers Gulf near Port Lincoln, S.A., C.Wilhelmi ; lecto: MEL616151, fide B.R.Maslin & D.J.E.Whibley, op. cit. 31; Flinders Ra., S.A., Oct. 1851, F.Mueller s.n. ; paralecto: K, MEL, PERTH.
Illustrations
F. von Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 5 [pl. 5] (1887); L.F.Costermans, Native Trees & Shrubs SE Australia 317 (1981); T.Tame, Acacias SE Australia 139, fig. 148, pl. 148 (1992); D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 155 (1992).
Representative collections
S.A.: Gawler Ra., Mt Partridge, c. 168 km W of Port Augusta, A.E.Orchard 989 (AD); Wharminda Soak (Wharminda is c. 90 km NNE of Port Lincoln), 10 June 1965, J.B.Cleland s.n. (AD). N.S.W.: Byrnedale Stn, near Menindee, 21 Nov. 1947, E.F.Constable s.n. (NSW). Vic.: N bank of Broken Ck, 9.5 km WNW of Nathalia, N.H.Scarlett 82-89 (MEL).
(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.
