Acacia octonervia R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 9: 73 (1993)
Glabrous, spreading shrub 0.1–0.5 (- 1) m, high. Branchlets brownish red, sometimes nitid. Stipules persistent, narrowly triangular, 1.5–2 mm long. Phyllodes erect, straight or weakly curved, terete, commonly 1–2 cm long, 1–1.5 mm diam., obtuse-mucronulate, rigid, dark green, with 8 distant, raised nerves; stomata raised; gland inconspicuous, 4–10 mm above pulvinus at junction of 2 adaxial nerves. Inflorescences simple, 1 or 2 per axil; peduncles commonly 7–12 mm long; basal bracts rostriform; heads globular, 3–4 mm diam., 20-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods narrowly oblong, undulate, to 2.5 cm long, 3 mm wide, coriaceous, somewhat nitid. Seeds longitudinal, ovate or widely elliptic, 2–2.5 mm long, subnitid, brown; aril subterminal.
Restricted to the area between the Fitzgerald and Young Rivers, south-western W.A. with an outlier near Boxwood Hill, c. 100 km WSW of Fitzgerald R. Grows in rocky sand, rocky loam or sandy clay, in open mallee, dense low heath and open dwarf scrub.
A member of the ‘ A. sulcata group’ and most nearly related to A. sulcata which has six- or seven-nerved phyllodes, caducous stipules, heads with 10–15 flowers and commonly mottled seeds.
Type of accepted name
Fitzgerald R. Natl Park, Whoogarup Ra., W.A., 7 Oct. 1975, B.R.Maslin 3878 ; holo: PERTH; iso: BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY.
Representative collections
W.A.: 28.5 km E of Muckinwobert Rock, M.A.Burgman 4008 (PERTH); Bandalup Ck, F.Lulllfitz 5492 (PERTH); Thumb Peak, B.R.Maslin 5552 (BM, PERTH); 36 km SSE of Ongerup, N.Stevens KRN 9518-1 (MELU, PERTH).
(RSC & BRM)