Acacia spongolitica R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 7: 195; 193, fig. 2G–I (1990)
Spreading shrub 1–2 m high. Branchlets apically angled and resinous, not viscid, glabrous. Phyllodes linear- to oblong-elliptic, usually 3–7 cm long, 4–7 mm wide, obtuse to acute, apiculate, coriaceous, glabrous, resinous when young, with 1 or 2 main nerves arising from pulvinus and a number of parallel, distant, less prominent and sparingly anastomosing secondary nerves inbetween; gland to 2 mm above pulvinus. Inflorescences 1- or 2-headed racemes; raceme axes 1–7 mm long; peduncles usually 5–9 mm long, glabrous or with scattered glandular papillae; heads globular to short-obloid, 4–6 mm diam., 25–32-flowered, lemon yellow. Flowers 4-merous; sepals 1/3–3/4-united, glandular-ciliolate. Pods linear, raised over seeds, straight to shallowly curved, to 7.5 cm long, 2.5–3.5 mm wide, thin-coriaceous, glabrous, resinous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic-oblong, 4–4.5 mm long, subglossy, brown; aril apical.
Frequent and locally common from near Ongerup E to Ravensthorpe, S to Beaufort Inlet and Fitzgerald River Natl Park in south-western W.A. Usually occurs in Eucalyptus low woodland, in sandy and skeletal soils on spongolite breakaways; also often along creeks and rivers.
The Newbey 4767 collection from NNE of Ongerup, represents the most northern occurrence of the species, and has unusually short phyllodes (20–25 mm long) and short peduncles (c. 3 mm long).
A member of the ‘ A. flavipila group’, and perhaps most closely related to A. lanei and A. ixiophylla , both of which have pentamerous flowers and free sepals; it also superficially resembles A. pelophila . Acacia veronica is possibly related to A. spongolitica.
Type of accepted name
Near West R. crossing, W.A., 11 Sept. 1966, K.Newbey 2472 ; holo: PERTH; iso: BRI, CANB, K, MEL.
Illustration
R.S.Cowan & B.R.Maslin., loc. cit.
Representative collections
W.A.: Beaufort Inlet, c. 45 km W of Bremer Bay, M.McDonald 1319 (MEL, PERTH); Boat Harbour, K.Newbey 3258 (PERTH); 22 km NNE of Ongerup, K.Newbey 4767 (AD, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY, PERTH); Roe’s Rock, Fitzgerald R. Natl Park, R.D.Royce 8996 (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.
