Acacia symonii Whibley, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 2: 167; 168, fig. 1 & 169, map 1 (1980)
Bushy-crowned shrub or tree 2- 4 m high, rarely to 8 m high. Branchlets glabrous or sometimes minutely appressed-hairy at the resin-ribbed apices. Phyllodes ascending to erect, linear, straight to slightly incurved, 8- 14 cm long, 1.5- 3 mm wide, acuminate (with tip commonly slightly curved), not rigid, subglaucous to grey-green, minutely appressed-hairy when young otherwise glabrous, normally 3-nerved per face with the more prominent central nerve and marginal nerves resinous, not reticulate between nerves. Inflorescences simple, commonly 1 per axil; peduncles 3- 5 mm long, minutely appressed-hairy to glabrous, resinous; spikes 11- 15 mm long, 4 mm diam., sometimes interrupted. Flowers 5-merous; sepals 2/3-united, the calyx c. 1/5 length of petals. Pods linear, raised over and slightly constricted between seeds, to 7 cm long, 2- 3 mm wide, firmly chartaceous, glabrescent; margins yellowish, shiny resinous. Seeds longitudinal, oblong, 3 mm long, glossy, tan; aril terminal, whitish.
Uncommon species with a scattered distribution in the central Arid Zone. It occurs in S.A. around the Victory Basin in the Everard Ra. and from Mt Lindsay in the Birksgate Ra., also N.T. in the Beddome Ra. and W.A. in the Gibson and Little Sandy Deserts at Mt Nossiter, Mt Everard and Mt Beadell. Grows in stony red soil amongst granitic rocks on lower slopes of low, rocky hills, with mulga (W.A., N.T.) and A. olgana (S.A.).
Closest to A. websteri which has branchlets flattened and lacking resin ribs at their apices, generally shorter phyllodes with more strongly raised main nerves, shorter and denser spikes and free sepals. While resembling A. longissima (Qld and N.S.W.) in having long linear, non-rigid phyllodes with delicately curved tips, there is little relationship.
Type of accepted name
Everard Ra., creekline about Mt Illbillee, S.A., 17 Feb. 1965, D.E.Symon 3327 ; holo: AD; iso: BRI, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH.
Illustrations
D.J.E.Whibley, loc. cit .; D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 255 (1992).
Representative collections
W.A.: Little Sandy Desert, Mt Nossiter, 125 km NE of Carnegie HS on ‘Gunbarrel Hwy’, B.R.Maslin 5644 (AD, PERTH). N.T.: Beddome Ra., New Crown Stn, P.K.Latz 12484 & H.Coulson (DNA, NSW, NT, PERTH). S.A.: Everard Ra., southernmost hills above Victory Basin, 16 Dec. 1975, K.Shurcliff (AD, PERTH); near top of Mt Lindsay, D.J.E.Whibley 6581 (AD, PERTH).
(BRM & RSC)
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.
