Acacia whibleyana R.S.Cowan & Maslin, Nuytsia 10: 228 (1995)
Whibley Wattle
Spreading shrub 1–2.5 m high. Branchlets glabrous with prominent, raised phyllode-scars. Phyllodes ascending, elliptic to oblanceolate, asymmetric, straight, occasionally slightly curved, 0.9–3 cm long, 2.5–8 mm wide, 2–4.5 times longer than wide, with curved to rostriform, occasionally straight, apiculate tip, rigid, thick, glabrous, with numerous closely parallel, immersed nerves; gland 1, near base. Inflorescences simple, 2 per axil; peduncles 6–15 mm long, glabrous; heads globular, 2.5–5 mm diam., 18–19-flowered, golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals and petals free. Pods narrowly oblong, slightly raised over but not constricted between seeds, scarcely undulate, straight to curved, sometimes circinnate, to 4.5 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, coriaceous, glabrous. Seeds oblique, broadly elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, subglossy, dark brown-black; aril large, terminal.
Restricted to near-coastal areas S of Tumby Bay on the Eyre Penin., S.A. It is currently known from around 300 plants growing on road verges in a very localised area. Grows on limestone and loam, sometimes near salt swamps.
A member of the ‘ A. ancistrophylla group’, most closely related to A. ancistrophylla , which typically has branchlets lacking raised phyllode-scars, shorter peduncles, narrower pods and seeds longitudinal in the pods. Also similar to A. amyctica .
Type of accepted name
Eyre Peninsula, S.A., 3 Dec. 1965, C.R.Alcock 831 ; holo: PERTH; iso: AD, CANB, K.
Illustration
D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 209 (1992).
Representative collection
S.A.: S of Tumby Bay, B.Copley 4916 (AD).
(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.
