Acacia torulosa Benth., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot . 3: 139 (1859)
Slightly resinous shrub or tree, 1.3–15 m high. Bark flaky when old. Branchlets angled towards apices, soon terete, glabrous. Phyllodes linear to very narrowly elliptic, 5–20 cm long, 4–18 mm wide, thinly to moderately coriaceous, yellowish green (at least when dry), scurfy when mature; nerves 10–13 per mm, nonanastomosing, with prominent midnerve and 1 or 2 semiprominent nerves; gland 1, to 2 mm above pulvinus. Spikes 1–4 cm long. Flowers 5-merous; calyx 0.5–0.8 mm long, free almost to base, with hyaline hairs; corolla 0.8–1.3 mm long, dissected to 1/2, glabrous; ovary densely pubescent. Pods linear, strongly moniliform, convex over seeds, 6–20 cm long: (3–) 4–6.5 mm wide, longitudinally nerved-ridged, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic, 4.4–6.5 mm long, dark brown; areole narrowly oblong, open, slightly raised within a central depression, often paler than rest of seed.
Widespread in tropical N.T. and Qld, N of 23oS. Grows usually in alluvial sandy soil, close to streams, on rocky hillsides or near beaches, in eucalypt woodland or mixed shrubland. Flowers Mar.–July.
Occupies a wide range of habitats but is not very variable morphologically. The distinctive pods are torulose, glabrous and longitudinally wrinkled, but specimens without fruit may be confused with A. armitii , A. hammondii , A. julifera or A. plectocarpa .
Type of accepted name
Nicholson R., F.Mueller 26 ; syn: K; Gulf of Carpentaria, F.Mueller 24 ; syn: K; isosyn: MEL.
Synonymy
Racosperma torulosum (Benth.) Pedley, Austrobaileya 2: 356 (1987). Type: as for accepted name.
[ Acacia julifera auct. non Benth.: F.Mueller, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot . 3: 139 (1859), pro syn. sub A. torulosa ]
Illustrations
F.Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia dec. 10 [pl. 2] (1888); J.Brock, Top End Native Pl . 76 (1988); C.R.Dunlop, G.J.Leach & I.D.Cowie, Fl. Darwin Region 2: 21, fig. 10 (1995); B.R.Maslin & M.W.McDonald, A key to useful Australian acacias for the seasonally dry tropics , CSIRO, 70 & 71 (1996).
Representative collections
N.T.: 28.5 km W of Twin Falls, M.Lazarides 9129 (CANB, NSW); McArthur R. area, L.A.Craven 4230 (BRI, CANB, G, L, NT, P, RSA). Qld: 56.8 km NW of ‘Lakeland Downs’, R.G.Coveny 6995 & P.D.Hind (AD, BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW, QRS).
(NSW)
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.
