Acacia subtessarogona Tindale & Maslin, Nuytsia 2: 88 (1976)
Tree to 8 m tall. Branchlets ribbed, densely appressed pubescent between ribs. Phyllodes narrowly elliptic, 7–13 cm long, 4–9 mm wide, longitudinally striate with appressed hairs between ribs, the midrib occasionally more prominent. Inflorescences 1–5 in axils; peduncles 4–8 mm long; heads capitate to shortly spicate, 6–12 mm long. Flowers 5-merous; sepals extremely narrow, c. 1 mm long, free, pubescent with pale yellow hairs; corolla c. 2 mm long; stamens c. 2.5 mm long; ovary with dense minute scale-like hairs. Pods not stipitate, flat, straight, depressed tetragonous in section, to 12 cm long, c. 7 mm wide, 2–3 mm thick, coriaceous, grey, hoary, with irregular somewhat anastomosing ribs, dehiscent. Seeds longitudinal, obloid, 5–6.5 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide; aril small, obliquely terminal, pileate, fawn.
Occurs in the extreme west of W.A. between 23 and 25 latitude with an outlier near Wiluna, W.A.; commonly occurring on red loamy soil in low-lying areas often with Acacia sclerosperma and A. tetragonophylla or less frequently on rocky ground with A. ancistrocarpa .
Although compared with A. brachystachya in the protologue, and having phyllodes and flowers that resemble some of the A. aneura complex of species, it is readily distinguished by its unusual pods. Acacia atopa possibly originated as a result of hybridism between A. ramulosa var. linophylla and A. subtessarogona .
Type of accepted name
10 miles [16 km] SW of Winning Pool, W.A., 10 Oct. 1941, C.A.Gardner 6224 ; holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K.
Illustration
M.D.Tindale & B.R.Maslin, op. cit. 89, 90.
Representative collection
W.A.: ‘Winning Pool’ Stn, 53 km S of Barradale on North West Coastal Hwy, B.R.Maslin 2768 (BRI, PERTH).
(LP)
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.
