Acacia pruinocarpa Tindale, Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 4: 73 (1968)
(Black) Gidgee , Tawu
Shrub or tree 3–12 m high. Branchlets often pruinose, glabrous. Phyllodes normally spreading widely, linear to linear-elliptic, straight or curved, 7–17 cm long, 6–20 (- 30) mm wide, obtuse to subacute, thick, coriaceous, subglaucous to glaucous, glabrous; midrib and marginal nerves prominent; lateral nerves obscure; glands 2–5, lowermost largest and basal. Inflorescences 6–20-headed racemes; raceme axes 3–15 cm long, stout, often pruinose, glabrous; peduncles 1–4 cm long, mostly 2 or 3 together along raceme axes, rather stout, glabrous; heads globular, 7–8 mm diam., densely 55–110-flowered, light golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals united; bracteole laminae and sepal apices densely golden-hairy. Pods narrowly oblong, to 12 cm long, 9–17 mm wide, chartaceous to thinly coriaceous, often pruinose, glabrous. Seeds transverse to oblique, ovate to oblong-elliptic or suborbicular, 5–6 mm long, dull, black; funicle flat, liguliform; aril small.
Occurs in arid areas from near S side of Millstream- Chichester Natl Park, W.A., E to near Tanami and Burt Plain, N.T., and Mann Ra., S.A. Grows in a variety of topographic situations, usually in sand or loam, often with A. aneura and Spinifex. Flowers late Oct.- early Jan.
Closely allied to A. ensifolia ; appears to have some affinity with A. beckleri . Details of ecology, utilisation, etc. of A. pruinocarpa are given in J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 188 (1986).
Type of accepted name
Pass of the Abencerrages, Rawlinson Ra., W.A., 29 July 1964, W.A., R.Hill 1353 ; holo: PERTH; iso: AD, NSW n.v.
Synonymy
[ Acacia notabilis auct. non F.Muell.: G.M.Chippendale, Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. S. Australia 81: 38 (1958)]
Illustrations
B.R.Maslin, in J.P.Jessop (ed.), Fl. Central Australia 120 (1981); A.A.Mitchell & D.G.Wilcox, Arid Shrubland Pl. W. Australia 284- 285 (1988); D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 145 & 147 (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: 53 km S of Nullagine on Great Northern Hwy, B.R.Maslin 4964 (PERTH); Pass of the Abencerrage, Rawlinson Ra. D.E.Symon 2495 (K, PERTH). N.T.: Mt Doreen Stn, P.E.Conrick 1425 (PERTH); 8.4 km W of Desert Block House, Amburla Stn, J.Must 358 (K, PERTH). S.A.: near Mt Davies Camp, N.N.Donner 6553 (AD).
(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.
