Acacia simsii A.Cunn. ex Benth., London J. Bot. 1: 368 (1842)
Heathlands Wattle , Sims’ Wattle
Glabrous shrub 1–4 m high. Branchlets apically ribbed and angled. Phyllodes linear to narrowly elliptic, straight to incurved, 5–11 (–14) cm long, 2–7 mm wide, acute to acuminate, mucronulate, thinly coriaceous, with 3 or 4 main nerves and few obscure, longitudinally anastomosing minor nerves inbetween; gland 0–2 mm above pulvinus, 1–5 others along adaxial margin. Inflorescences simple or rudimentary 1- or 2-headed racemes with axes 0.5–2 mm long, normally occurring as an axillary group of heads; peduncles 5–12 mm long; basal bract persistent; heads globular, 3.5–4 mm diam., 25–35-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free or to 2/3-united. Pods linear, straight-edged to shallowly constricted between seeds (occasional deep constrictions can occur), flat but raised over seeds alternately on each side, to 8 cm long, 4–5 (–7) mm wide, thinly coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, subcircular to broadly elliptic, 2.5–4 mm long, dull, brown-black; aril clavate.
Widespread, occurring in N.T. in the Gove area and on the edge of the Barkly Tableland, in northern Qld from Cape York S to near Mackay. Also recorded from Papua New Guinea, fide L.Pedley, Contrib. Queensland Herb. 18: 13 (1975). Found on gentle slopes and plains in coastal areas and inland on gently undulating terrain. Usually grows in sand and gravel in eucalypt open forest and woodland, sometimes in closed heath on Cape York Penin. and sometimes forming closed scrub in disturbed areas.
Closely related to A. multisiliqua which has generally shorter phyllodes with the lowermost gland normally further removed from the pulvinus, shorter peduncles and larger, differently shaped seeds. Also related to A. complanata and A. ramiflora (see L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 209 (1978) and 2: 322–327 (1987), for other relatives).
Type of accepted name
Cleveland Bay, Qld, June 1819, A.Cunningham 314 ; syn: BM, fide L.Pedley, Austrobaileya 1: 208 (1978) where the specimen is called an isotype; Trinidad, B. de Schack ; syn: K. Other syntypes are A. multisiliqua , although there is confusion regarding the K specimens, fide L.Pedley, loc. cit.
Synonymy
Racosperma simsii (Benth.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 355 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
Acacia simsii var. typica Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 260 (1926), nom. inval.
Illustrations
F. von Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 7 [pl. 10] (1887), fruiting part of plate only; M.Simmons, Acacias Australia 207 (1981); J.W.Turnbull (ed.), Multipurpose Austral. Trees & Shrubs 199 (1986); J.Brock, Top End Native Pl. 75 (1988).
Representative collections
N.T.: 11.3 km W of Giddy R. crossing, J.R.Maconochie 1528 (K, PERTH); 72.4 kkm NNE of Creswell Stn, R.A.Perry 1674 (K, PERTH). Qld: 9.2 km by road SW of Cannonvale, R.Coveny 6919 & P.Hind (BRI n.v ., NSW, PERTH); 36 km from Laura, J.Moriarty 1045 (PERTH).
(RSC & 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.
