Acacia praemorsa P.Lang & Maslin, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 13: 118; 120, fig. 2 & 122, fig. 3 (1990)
Glabrous shrub 1–3 m high, often suckering. Branchlets angled at extremities. Phyllodes linear, incurved, 2–9 cm long, 1–2.5 mm wide, obliquely truncate at apex, flat but thick, smooth but finely longitudinally rugulose when dry; midrib absent or scarcely evident superficially; glands 2, the apical gland brown and adjacent to blunt mucro, the basal gland inconspicuous and 6–18 mm above indistinct pulvinus. Inflorescences mostly 1-headed racemes; raceme axes 1.5–3.5 mm long, often growing out; peduncles 6–12 mm long; heads globular, 34–58-flowered, bright golden. Flowers 5-merous; sepals free. Pods linear, to 13.5 cm long, 5–8.5 mm wide, crustaceous to cartilaginous. Seeds longitudinal, elliptic-lenticular, 4.5–6.5 mm long, punctulate, subnitid, dark brown; aril 2/5–3/5 length of seed.
Extremely localised on the Eyre Penin., S.A. Grows in loam on lower slopes and at base of steep gullies, in the zone of contact between dense open heath and open tall shrubland or open scrub.
Most closely related to A. microcarpa and its allies but distinguished by its linear, superficially nerveless phyllodes (which are 2–9 cm long and 1–2.5 mm wide), 34–58-flowered heads and punctulate seeds. In habit and foliage, A. praemorsa bears a striking resemblence to Senna artemisioides subsp. petiolaris .
Type of accepted name
c. 3 km W of Glenville HS (Yabmana), Eyre Penin., S.A., 27 Dec. 1989, P.J.Lang 1824 ; holo: AD; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW, PERTH.
Illustrations
P.J.Lang & B.R.Maslin, loc. cit. ; D.J.E.Whibley & D.E.Symon, Acacias S. Australia 2nd edn, 91 (1992).
Representative collections
S.A.: Hundred of Mann, T.Croft 24b (AD, CANB) and P.J.Lang D8722 (AD, PERTH).
(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 Conservation and Land Management, 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.
