Acacia plautella Maslin, Nuytsia 12: 381 (1999)
Spreading shrub 0.7–1 m high. Branchlets glabrous; epidermis white, puncticulate and exfoliating with age. Stipules caducous. Phyllodes sessile, patent, linear-triangular, 8–15 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, pungent, rigid, green, glabrous, 1-nerved, commonly an obscure second nerve parallel to midrib; gland 1–3 mm above the base. Inflorescences rudimentary, normally 1-headed racemes with axes 0.5–1 mm long, commonly growing out; peduncles c. 1 cm long, glabrous; heads globular, 15–20-flowered, golden; bracteoles absent. Flowers 5-merous; sepals c. 1/2–4/5-united; petals nerveless. Pods moniliform, normally shallowly arcuate, to 7.5 cm long, 3.5–4 mm wide, thinly coriaceous, reddish brown, finely longitudinally reticulate, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong or elliptic to obovate, 3–4 mm long, black with cream mottlings; aril conical, terminal.
Known only from c. 50 km N of the Murchison R. (c. 60 km due NE of Kalbarri), south-western W.A. Grows in yellow sand in dense Mallee scrub.
C.H.Gittins 1556 (PERTH), collected with C.H.Gittins 1554 , is possibly A. plautella but pods are required to check its identity. It differs in its atypically long (4–6 cm), linear, inclined to ascending phyllodes and a poorly developed, non-puncticulate epidermis.
Similar to A. ingrata which has cream to white, 5–7-flowered heads and non-mottled seeds. Superficially resembling some members of the ‘ A. horridula group’ but distinguished by 5-merous flowers and moniliform pods.
Type of accepted name
48 km N of Murchison R. on North West Coastal Hwy, W.A., 25 Aug. 1984, B.R.Maslin 5580 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL.
Representative collections
W.A.: near 413 mile peg, North West Coastal Hwy, A.S.George 11225 (PERTH); 66 km S of Billabong Roadhouse on North West Coastal Hwy, C.H.Gittins 1554 (NSW, PERTH).
(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.
