QUEENSLAND HERBARIUM

DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES BRISBANE

AUSTRO

VOLUME 1 NUMBER 2

1978. 58237—S, R. Hampson, Government Printer, Brisbane

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CONTENTS

Page A revision of Acacia Mill. in Queensland

L, Pedley .. a Ke at sls ahs ns ee)

Editor: L. Pedley

Dates of Publication

“Contributions from the Queensland Herbarium” No. 20 was published on 20 September 1977, and ‘* Austrobaileya ” 1 (1) on 1 December 1977.

Austrobaileya 1 (2): 75-234 (1978)

A REVISION OF ACACIA MILL. IN QUEENSLAND

By L. Pedley, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane.

Table of Contents Part 1 Summary .. Classification Some characters and their usefulness in taxonomy .. Delimitation of species .. Cytology .. Ecology Reproduction and dispersal Common names . Notes on the text Key to species

Description of species Subgenus Heterophyllum Juliflorae Plurinerves Lycopodiifoliae

Part 2 * Phyllodineae Botrycephalae Subgenus Acacia Subgenus Aculeiferum

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Index of collectors

Index of names

Appendix 1. Names of some infrageneric taxa and their typification Appendix 2. Colour of flowers of some species.

* To be published in Austrobaileya 1 (3).

77 77 84 94 95 96 99 101 101 102

125 125 187 227

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Summary

Bentham’s classification of Acacia with six series has usually been followed, with minor modifications. Recent studies in the chemistry of the heartwood, morphology of pollen and seedlings, and several taximetric studies have resulted in re-appraisals of Bentham’s classification, Three subgenera with ten sections are recognised here. Of these sections Alatae (Benth.) Pedley and Lycopodiifoliae Pedley are new, and the names Spiciflorae DC. and Phryllodineae DC. replace the more familiar Vulgares (Benth.) Taub. and Uninerves (Benth.) Maiden & Betche respectively. Lectotypes for some infrageneric taxa are chosen.

Characters useful in identification and classification are discussed, The arrangement of phyllodes, their shape, size, venation, indumentum and the position and structure of their glands enable a large proportion of species to be identified. The succession of bipinnate - seedling leaves and their retention on older plants are discussed and it is suggested that the Botrycephalae and the Racemosae group of the Phyllodineae are related, Juvenile phyllodes of some species differ markedly from those of mature plants and some species retain them throughout their lives. The nature of the inflorescence (heads or spikes) and their arrangement are useful in defining groups of related species, Flowers show little variation in size and structure and are of limited value in classification and identification. Flower colour is more or less constant for each species. There is a great diversity of pods though only one-fifth of specimens examined included pods,

Delimitation of species is discussed briefly. Naturally occurring hybrids are rare. Most species have a diploid complement of 26 chromosomes, Polyploids are more common in subg, Acacia than they are in other subgenera.

Acacias are scarce or absent only in rainforest and grassland. Edaphic factors determine the ranges of many species. Most favour coarse-textured well-drained soils, but some wide- ranging, economically important species are confined to clays, Others are associated with deeply weathered rocks on scarps. Regeneration of most species is from seed, particularly after fires, but A, harpophylla and A. argyrodendron sucker from the roots. Their seeds lack an impervious testa. The abundance and geographic ranges of some species have been affected by man’s activities. Though data are lacking dispersal by animals is probably insignificant.

A key to the identification of 234 species and descriptions, essential synonymy, citation of some specimens, and notes on distribution, ecology and taxonomy for all species are given. A. nilotica (Asia), A. baileyana, A. decurrens (south-eastern Australia) and A, saligna (Western Australia) are naturalized, Taxa described as new are: A. ditricha (subg. Acacta); A, jackesiana, A, spania, A. striatifolia, A. tenuinervis, A. hyaloneura, A. longispicata subsp. velutina, A. oligophleba, A. leiocalyx subsp. herveyensis, A, crassa subsp. longicoma, A. erandifolia, (Juliflorae); A. microcephala, A. maranoensis, A, ammophila, A. melvillei, A. melleodora, A, excelsa subsp. angusta, A, fleckeri, A. hyalonoma, A. legnota, A. leptoloba (Plurinerves); A. johnsonii, A. islana, A. burbidgeae, A. tindaleae, A. hockingsti, A. lauta, A. calantha, A. detuteroneura, A. everistii, A. holotricha, A. polifolia, A. buxifolia subsp. pubiflora (Phyllodineae); and A. albizoides (subg. Aculeiferum). A. caroleae (Juliflorae), A. ixodes and A. perangusta (Phyllodineae) are new species based on A. doratoxylon var. angustifolia, A. gnidium var, latifolia, and A. fimbriata var. perangusta respectively.

Acknowledgements, bibliography and an index to collections in the Queensland Herbarium (BRI) are given.

This paper is to be published in two parts. The first part deals with the 140 species of the sections Juliflorae, Plurinerves and Lycopodiifoliae. The rest of the paper will be published in part 3 of Austrobaileya Vol. 1.

Classification

A discussion of the classification of the genus Acacia after its formal recognition by Philip Miller (1754) was given by Ross (1973) and will not be repeated. Despite Ross’s statement to the contrary, de Candolle (1825) did provide names for each of the four sections of the genus that he recognised and some of these must in fact be used in place of some generally used ones which were proposed later by Bentham.

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Bentham (1842) largely disregarded de Candolle’s classification when he published his more detailed one which has become the basis of most subsequent classifications. Bentham recognised six series which are still accepted by most taxonomists as major subdivisions of the genus, though there has been some disagreement as to the appropriate rank of the subdivisions. Bentham (1855) and Mueller (1859) followed Bentham’s earlier scheme, but in his treatment of the Australian species, Bentham (1864) modified it slightly. Some of the subseries of the series Phyllodinae were raised to the rank of series and the series Phyllodineae became the “division” Phyllodineae. I regard this and the equally ranking “division” Bipinnatae as sections. Bentham also described new subseries. ‘The names of some of these are illegitimate.

Bentham (1875) again classified Acacia. He reduced the section Phyllo- dineae to the rank of series and the series included in it to subseries. The other series remained as before; and in fact Bentham’s classification of 1875 was a return to his classification of 1842 with the addition of some subdivisions of those subseries included in the series Phyllodineae. Bentham’s low ranking of the major subdivisions of Acacia is surprising. It is partly explained by his note that, though they appeared to have the same importance as the subgenera of Mimosa, Pithecellobium and others, and although distinguished by vegetative characters, they were, for systemic purposes, under the rules usually followed, treated as series only.

Mueller (1889) slightly modified Bentham’s 1864 classification by placing subseries Spicatae in the series Juliflorae. Taubett (1894) used Bentham’s 1875 classification except that he raised Bentham’s series to sectional rank. I have treated Taubert’s subdivisions of the sections as subsections.

Since Taubert, no one has attempted to deal with the whole of Acacia. Britton and Rose (1928) using characters of the pod referred the American species to a number of genera. Segregate genera had already been described by Wright and Arnott, Link, Rafinesque and others (for references sce Hutchinson 1964).

_ It is significant that Australian workers have followed Bentham with little modification. Maiden and Betche (1916) agreed with Mueller and placed all -phyllodinous species with spicate inflorescences in the Juliflorae, though the placing there of A. dorothea is doubtful. Bailey (1900), Gardner (1930) and Ewart (1930) all adopted Bentham’s classification, as did Black (1924) though he recognised only three series.

Newman (1932a) objected to existing classification as being “too static” and proposed a classification which he did not develop in any subsequent publication. It was based on “inflorescences” (inflorescences in racemes, clustered or single), “flower groups” (flowers in cylindrical spikes, oblong ‘spikes, or in globular heads), and “foliar types” (true leaves, petioles without laminae in the adult, and leaves completely absent). From the small number of species listed by Newman it seems that he regarded Acacia undulifolia (—A. uncinata) as being more closely related to A. farnesiana and A. bidwillii than to A. buxifolia and A, penninervis. Such a classification is hardly worthy of serious consideration.

Recent work on Acacia, particularly the chemistry of the flavenoid com- ponents of the heart-wood, the pollen and the development of seedlings, has led to a reassessment of the classification of Bentham. As Tindale and Roux (1969) remarked, Bentham’s classification has stood the test of time. This may not be suitable criterion for assessing the classifications of taxa of interest to only

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a few workers, but. it is valid in Acacia which is of considerable ecological and economic importance in Africa and Australia. It is significant that Mueller, Maiden, Black and Gardner, taxonomists with a considerable knowledge of Australian species, proposed only minor modifications of the classification of Acacia published by Bentham in 1842. It may be equally significant however that African workers such as Brenan (1959), Dale and Greenway (1961) and Ross (1971) did not use a formal infrageneric classification, though Ross (1973) has more recently endorsed Bentham’s major subdivisions.

Studies of the Australian species of Acacia by Clarke-Lewis and Dainis (1967), Clarke-~-Lewis and Porter (1972) and Tindale and Roux (1969, 1974) showed the hydroxylation patterns of flavonoids of the heartwood to be correlated with the broad subdivisions of the genus. Tindale and Roux who presented data on almost 300 species and found that flavonoids with pyrogallol (7, 8-hydroxy) A-ring nuclei occur almost exclusively in species of subsections of the Plurinerves and Juliflorae, while the resorcinol (7-hydroxy) A-ring analogues are similarly represented in the Brunioideae, subsect, Racemosae of the Uninerves and the Botrycephalae. Individual representation of both hydroxyla- tion patterns or their mixtures are present among the Continuae, and under many subsections of the Pungentes, Calamiformes and Uninerves, Peltogynoids were isolated from the heartwoods of A. peuce, A. carnei and A. crombiei. On the assumption that 8-hydroxylation or 8-methoxylation of the resorcinol-type (7-hydroxy) flavonoids to form pyrogallol-type (7, 8-hydroxy) compounds was an evolutionary advance, Tindale and Roux considered the Botrycephalae and the subsection Racemosae of the Uninerves (with the exception of A. salicina, A. ligulata and few other apparently related species) to be primitive and the Juliflorae the most advanced, Eastern Australia was considered to be the centre of origin of the Australian species of Acacia.

The presence of flavonoids of both 7-hydroxy and 7,8-hydroxy types in such widespread juliflorous species as A. ancistrocarpa, A. difficilis, A. holosericea, A, humifusa, A. leptocarpa, A. leptostachya, A. tenuissima, A. torulosa, and others suggests that an equally likely hypothesis is that both 7- and 7,8-hydroxy flavonoids are present in less advanced species and that species with only 7-hydroxy or. 7,8-hydroxy types were derived from these. In this case the subsection Racemosae of the Uninerves and the Botrycephalae could be regarded as advanced. It would also be unnecessary to postulate, however tentatively, that the Gummiferae were derived from the Botrycephalae.

The distribution of free amino acids in the seeds of 106 species of Acacia (Evans et al. 1977) confirms Vassal’s division of the genus (see below) into three subgenera, with Acweliferum and Heterophyllum appearing to be more closely allied to each other than they do to subg. Acacia. The amino-acid patterns suggest that of the extra-Australian species previously referred to Heterophyllum (Pedley 1975), A. heterophylla agrees with other species of the subgenus, whereas A. confusa and A. kauiensis could be placed in Aculeiferum.,

The distribution of other compounds within the genus could also yield information on relationships. Kjaer (1966) noted that evil smelling compounds, usually considered to be thiols or sulphides, have been detected in several species of the Mimosaceae. He considered it doubtful that such low molecular weight, volatile compounds are truly plant constituents, but are probably formed by degradations. of mainly unknown precursors. They are detectable in extremely

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low concentrations and have been noted in Acacia.. The flowers of A. cambagei have an unpleasant onion-like odour (Everist 1969). I have detected similar odours in the flowers of A. harpophylla and in the bruised roots of A. baeuerlenii, A, farnesiana, A. pravissima and A. salicina.

Vassal (1972) used characters of seeds and seedlings, as well as the occurrence of stipular spines and attributes of the pollen in devising another classification. Bentham had already used the presence of stipular spines in defining the series Gummiferae and Guinet (1969) had shown Bentham’s six series could be arranged in groups in accord with pollen of the three types recognised, so that in fact Vassal’s and Bentham’s classifications are broadly compatible. The low rank of Bentham’s groups, mentioned above, was overcome by Vassal who. described subgenera, using characters not known for many species or not readily apparent on herbarium material. It is fortunate that they correspond to groups of Bentham’s series. Bearing in mind Pryor and Johnson’s (1971) observation that anyone is at liberty to use a name with any circumscription he chooses, so long as the nomenclatural type is included, I have brought the taxa below the rank of subgenus described by Vassal into line with Bentham’s classification which, at least in its upper ranks, appears to be both practical and “natural”. Vassal accepted Faidherbia, a monotypic genus based on Acacia albida which Guinet found to have anomalous pollen.

Johnson (1973) used some multivariable statistical methods to analyse 37 attributes recorded on 107 species (98 of which occur in Queensland) of phyllodinous Acacia. The data were adapted from information derived from the descriptions of species in this paper and in Pedley (1975). Johnson compared the results of his analyses with the classification of Bentham (1864). He noted that while the Juliflorae appeared a fairly distinct group the present subseries within the group were not clearly revealed in the analyses. In particular the Rigidulae were partitioned among the remaining three subseries. A. conferta in all phenograms and the ordinations showed greater affinity with the Uninerves than with A. spondylophylia and appeared to belong to the Uninerves. Both species of the Pungentes-Armatae (A. maitlandii, A. brachycarpa) also showed close affinity with many of the Uninerves and on the evidence obtained the series Pungentes did not seem worthy of this rank. The Uninerves did not appear to be as natural a group as the Juliflorae. Within this group the species of the. Angustifoliae did not appear close phenetically. The Racemosae was in general a satisfactory entity. The Plurinerves like the Uninerves did not appear a very natural group. A striking feature was the distinctiveness of the Dimidiatae. The Microneurae also appeared a relatively distinct group but the Nervosae and the Oligoneurae overlapped and mixed with each other and with other subseries and series and were never clearly demarcated.

Johnson proposed a hypothetical scheme: (a) Series Juliflorae.

(b) Series Brunioideae. This had only one representative in the analyses A. spondylophylla. A conferta was excluded.

(c) Series non-Racemosae. Included were members of both the Uninerves and Plurinerves with heads single or in pairs in the axils, as well as A. conferta and the two members of the Pungentes.

(d) Series Racemosae. This included both uninerved and plurinerved species with heads in racemes or groups (A. fasciculifera).

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(e) Dimidiatae. The species considered were A. rothii, A. platycarpa, A. flavescens and A. retivenia.

Johnson’s work deserves serious consideration. Though probably only a seventh of the phyllodine species were considered it suggests that groups recognised by Bentham may well be arranged in a different hierarchical order. In the classification of the Phyllodineae I have followed Johnson to the extent that the Pungentes and the Brunioideae (type species: A. brunioides) have not been given the same ranks as the Plurinerves and Uninerves. |

Pettigrew and Watson (1975) who were “concerned with the main frame- work of the Australian acacias” have also made a major contribution to classifica- tion. Their work is marred by probable errors in identification and the use of incorrect names “ but these do not significantly affect their overall conclusion that Vassal’s section Uninervea ** is a very coherent group. This conclusion is hardly borne out by their figure 2. The Uninervea consists of groups 319, 332 and 334. Group 319 (14 species) is homogeneous when species are arranged according to Bentham’s systems of classification. Eight of the 28 species of group 332 cannot be considered uninerved, however, and six of the 30 species of group 334 are also misplaced. In all, 14 of the 58 “uninerved phyllodineous” species are either not uninerved or not phyllodineous.

It is probably futile to examine the composition of the groups in detail but there are a few noteworthy anomalies. The presence of A. bancroftii, which is uninerved, in group 336 is unexpected, as is the appearance of A. calcicola and A. georginde in group 335 and their apparent near-relatives A. cana and A. cambagei in. group 336. If other species of subgenus Acacia had been included, would they have been placed in group 332 with A. farnesiana?

The most acceptable classification of Acacia down to the rank of section is:

I. Subgenus Acacia. Lectotype: Mimosa scorpioides L, (= —A. nilotica (L.) Del.). Vide Britton & ‘Brown, Hlust. Flora North U.S. & Canute ed. 2 2:331 (1913). 1. Section Acacia Section Conjugato-Pinnatae DC., Prodr. 2:455 (1825). Lectotype: A. gum- mifera Willd.

Section Globuliferae DC., op. cit. 460 (1825). Lectotype: A. arabica Willd. (= A. nilotica),

Section (“Division”) Bipinnatae Benth., Fl. Aust, 2:302 (1864). Lectotype: A. bidwillii Benth. Il, Subgenus Aculeiferum Vassal, Bull. Soc. Nat. Hist. Toulouse 108: 138 (1972) Type: A. senegal (L.) Willd.

* Group 319 (fig. 2) includes A. botrycephala, A. elata and A. terminalis. A, botrycephala is conspecific with A. terminalis but the name A. ferminalis has often been misapplied to A. elata, Probably only two species are covered by the three names. Both A. monticola and A. impressa are in group 336, though A. monticola J. M. Black is based on A. jmpressa F. Muell. A. impressa Lindl. may have: been intended, but this is conspecific with A. penninervis (group 334). A. sibirica (group 335) is the same as A. kempeana (group 332). A. ptychophylla seems to be extremely rare and its data probably apply to A. drepanocarpa. subsp. latifolia which has often been misidentified as A, ptychophylla.

** Section Uninervea Vassal and Uninerves (Benth.) Taub. are both placed under section Phyllodineae DC. The section Botrycephalae (Benth.) Taub. is treated as distinct. See p. 82,

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2. Section Spiciflorae_DC., Prod. 2:456 (1825). Lectotype: A. ataxacantha DC.

Section Vulgares (Benth.) Taub., Pflanzenf. ed. 1. 3(3):113 (1894). Based on series Vulgares Benth., London J. Bot. 1:322 (1842). Lectotype: A, ataxacantha DC.

Section Aculeiferum Vassal, Bull. Soc. Nat. Hist. Toulouse 108:139 (1972). Type: A. senegal,

Section Monocanthea Vassal, Bull. Soc. Nat. Hist. Toulouse 108:139 (1972). Type: A. ataxacantha.

3. Section Filicinae (Benth.) Taub., Pflanzenf. ed. 1. 3(3):113 ctiaas Based on series Filicinae Benth., London J. Bot. 1:322 (1842). Type: A. filicina Willd.

Tl. Subgenus Heterophyllum Vassal, op. cit. 139 (1972). Type: A. stenophylla A. Cunn, ex Benth.

4. Section Botrycephalae (Benth.) Taub., Pflanzenf. ed. 1. 3(3):111 (1894); Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 96 (1916). Based on series Botry-

~ cephalae Benth., London J. Bot. 1:321 (1842). Type: A. botrycephala Dest. (=A, terminalis (Salisb.) Macbride.)

. Section Phyllodineae DC., Prodr. 2:448 (1825); Benth., Fl. Aust, 2:302 (1864); Taub., Pflanzenf. ed. 1. 3(3):109 (1894). Lectotype: A. penninervis Sieb, ex DC.

Section Uninerves (Benth.) Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 90 (1916). Based on series Uninerves Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:307(1864). Lectotype: A, penninervis Sieb, ex DC,

Section Brunioideae (Benth.) Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 90 (1916). Based on subseries Brunioideae Benth., London J. Bot. 1:343 (1842). Type: A. brunioides A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Section Uninervea Vassal, Bull. Soc. Nat. Hist. Toulouse 108:140 (1972). Type: A. retinodes Schlecht.

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ON

. Section Lycopodiifoliae* Pedley.

Phyllodes small, without definite nerves, terete or slightly flattened, in regular or slightly oblique whorls with prominent stipules between them, stipules sometimes absent. Flowers in heads on axillary Peganels Type species: A, lycopodiifolia A. Cunn, ex Hook.

7. Section Alatae (Benth.) Pedley, stat. nov. Based on subseries Alatae Benth., London J. Bot. 1:323 (1842). Type: A. alata R.Br.

. Section Plurinerves (Benth). Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 93 (1916). Based on series Plurinerves Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:312 (1864). Lectotype: A, melanoxylon R.Br.

Section Calamiformes (Benth.) Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 90 (1916). Based on subseries Calamiformes Benth., London J. Bot. 1:320 (1842). Lectotype: A. calamifolia Sweet. |

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* Section Lycopodiifoliae Pedley sect. nov.

Phyllodia parva teretia vel leviter planata, sine nervis manifestis, in verticillos regulares vel leviter obliquos stipulis prominentibus inter eas disposita; stipulae interdum nullae. Flores in capitula in pedunculis axillaribus dispositi. Typus: A. lycopodiifolia A. Cunn. ex Hook.

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Section Pungentes (Benth.) Maiden & Betche, Census Pl. N.S.W. 89 (1916), Based on subseries Pungentes Benth., London J. Bot. 1:334 (1842), Lectotype: A. latipes Benth,

Section Heterophyllum Vassal, Bull. Soc. ‘Nat. Hist. Toulouse 108:140 (1972). Type: A. stenophylla A. Cunn. ex Benth.

9. Section Suliflorae (Benth.) Maiden & Betche, Census PI. N.S.W. 95 (1916). Based on subser, Juliflorae Benth., London J. Bot. 1:161 Seer (Note: also spelled “‘Juliferae’’). Lectotype: A, julifera Benth.

10. Section Pulchellae (Benth.) Taub., Pflanzenf. ed. 1.3(3):111 (1894). Based on series Pulchellae Benth., London J, Bot. 1.321 (1842). Type: A, pulchella R.Br.

Section Pulchelloidea Vassal, Bull. Soc, Hist. Nat. Toulouse 108:140 (1972). Type: A. pulchella R.Br.

There are so few species of subgenus Acacia in Australia that its unsatis- factory subsectional classification, discussed by Ross (1973), is of little importance to Australian workers but the subgenus Heterophyllum is predomin- antly Australian and its satisfactory classification would be of value. Considerable basic taxonomic work is still required, especially on plants of northern and western Australia, before such a classification can be drawn up. There is no great need to subdivide the small sections Botrycephalae and Pulchellae but in Queensland further division of larger sections is warranted. The application of the names of infrasectional taxa is still reasonably clear, largely. because the classifications of

Bentham (1864, 1875) have been followed -with little modification by most workers.

The ranks of the sections Botrycephalae and Pulchellae are open to some doubt. Both are distinguished from other sections of subg. Heterophyllum by their bipinnate leaves and from each other by their inflorescences and foliage and appear to warrant, at least pro temporare, sectional rank. The Botrycephalae have close affinities with, and may have been derived from, the Racemosae group of the Phyllodineae. The Pulchellae form a diverse assemblage of 24 species (none of which is found in Queensland), some which are related to species of the Botrycephalae and one (A. insolita) whose uppermost leaves are reduced to phyllodes is related to the Phyllodineae.

In Appendix 1 lectotypes are chosen for some taxa below the rank of section so that there can be no doubt in future of the application of the names of these taxa.

The classification is basically the same as that used by Black (1924) with the addition of section Alatae for species, all from Western Australia, with phyllodes decurrent on the stems forming two opposite wings and section Lycopodiifoliae for the unusual species (excluding A. cedroides) dealt with previously (Pedley 1972). These had been included in subseries Brunioideae but A. brunioides, the type species, is referred here to section Phyllodineae so a new name is proposed, The species of subseries Triangulares described by Bentham (1842) were subsequently referred by him to either series Plurinerves or to series Uninerves (= section Phyllodineae), but they form a coherent group possibly worthy of subsectional rank. A. amblygona included by Bentham in Triangulares is the type of subsect, Parviscutellae Vassal and if Triangulares is regarded as a subsection the name Parviscutellae must be used for it despite the fact that the only other species included by Vassal (A. continua and A. spinescens) are excluded.

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- Most species referred by Bentham to the series Calamiformes and Continuae ' are placed in either section Plurinerves or Phyllodineae, This is the most significant departure of the present (and Black’s) classification from Bentham’s.

The system of classification is bound to be further modified. Further studies might indicate other changes to what is still basically Bentham’s system. The phyllodes of some Western Australian species (Vassal and Guinet 1972; Pedley 1975; Maslin 1978) have an unusual structure (diaphyllodinous) and the species might form another section. The treatment of subseries Dimidiatae Benth. (1842) is a problem. Tropical species such as A. dunnii and A. holosericea are closely related despite the differences in their inflorescences, while-A. binervata and A. wardellii are probably more closely related to some species of the Phyllodineae than to species of the Plurinerves. If some species of subseries Dimidiatae were transferred to series of Phyllodineae and Plurinerves the residue of closely related species could possibly form another taxon, possibly also of serial rank.

There are groups of closely related species in subgenus Heterophyllum and a fruitful approach to classification might be an agglomerative system such as Pryor and Johnson (1971) adopted for Eucalyptus, Examples of species that could constitute subseries: (a) A. brachycarpa, A. echinula, A. saxicola and ulicifolia; (b) A. implexa, A. melanoxylon and the extra-Australian species, . heterophylla, A. kauaiensis, A. koa and A. xiphoclada; (c) A. complanata, excelsa, A. fleckeri, A. homaloclada, A. simsii and their relatives A. confusa, . mathuataensts, A. richti and A. simplex which occur in the Pacific.

ARAA

The arranging of groups of related subseries into series would probably result in the recognition of many series but it is likely that these would have more significance than Bentham’s equivalent taxa; that is, the subseries of his 1864 classification. Some of Bentham’s subseries, for example, the Racemosae of the series Uninerves (= section Phyllodineae) and the Microneurae of the series Plurinerves (== section Plurinerves) are well defined; whereas others such as the Brevifoliae and Falcatae of the series Juliflorae (= section Juliflorae) are difficult to distinguish from each other. It is useful to refer to some of these subseries in a general way and in the following discussion they are termed “groups”. Some isolated species such as A. monticola, A. peuce and A. wickhamii will probably form monospecific subseries or even series.

Some characters useful in identification and classification

Bentham (1875) noted the importance of vegetative characters in distinguish- ing his series of Acacia and it is noticeable that in a genus of such size there is little variation in the flowers but considerable variation in fruits and vegetative parts. Many characters are useful in identification and classification, some of only limited use with herbarium material but valuable in the field. Vassal (1972) discussed at some length the evolutionary significance of many characters, including some considered below. |

HABIT, All species are evergreen woody perennials, Most are shrubs or small trees but there is a considerable range in size. A baueri is a subshrub often less than 30cm tall while A. bakeri is a rainforest tree up to 30m tall. Widely ranging species vary considerably in size. In near-coastal districts A. harpophylla is 25m or more tall but at the limit of its range in south-western Queensland it is usually less than 5m, A. aulacocarpa is extremely common in coastal districts of southern Queensland but it is usually a smaller tree than it is in north

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Queensland and New Guinea. In specially favourable situations individual plants may become extremely large. Trees of A, neriifolia, A. salicina and A. sparsifiora more than 20 m tall have been seen but such exceptional plants are not accounted for in the description of species, Modifications of the habit of plants subjected to unusual conditions have also been noted. Plants for A. humifusa near the sea at Cape Bedford, north of Cooktown, subjected to constant strong winds from the sea are prostrate, as are associated plants of Grevillea pter idiifolia. Both are usually erect plants.

' BARK. The bark of most tree species is hard and somewhat furrowed and offers © little help in identification. Some do have distinctive bark, however. A. harpophylla has black, coarsely and deeply furrowed bark similar to species of Eucalyptus known as ironbarks. The bark of the closely related A. cambagei is dark grey and somewhat flaky. The outer bark of A. rhodoxylon which is thin and comes off in small, more or less square flakes was likened by Maiden in the protologue of the species to a French fowl. Four species, A. chisholmii, A. curranii, A. cyperophylla and A. lysiphloia, section Juliflorae, and A. monticola in section Plurinerves, have what is referred to as ‘“‘mineritchie” bark. Mineritchie is a vernacular name for A. cyperophylla. The inner bark is reddish and the outer bark peals off in thin narrow strips curling at the ends.

BRANCHLETS, Branchlets vary from terete or subterete to trigonous or even ancipitous. Most species have unremarkable terete or somewhat angular. ones but branchlets of others are distinctive and useful in identification, particularly as the range of variation within species is not great. A. complanata and A. homaloc- lada have flattened almost winged stems and A. calyculata is unique in the Juliflorae in also having flattened branchlets. The colour of branchlets, though subject to modification by factors such as degree of exposure to light, is sometimes useful, A. leiocalyx has remarkably sharply 3-angled branchlets which are usually red,

INDUMENTUM. The presence or absence of indumentum is sometimes constant within a species, but at other times its occurrence is irregular. The distribution of hairs on floral parts, especially on the calyx and ovary is more regular than it is on vegetative organs and is useful in distinguishing some species. The distribution of hairs on the phyllodes of such species as A. flavescens, A. longispicata, A. neriifolia, A. polifolia and A. pubicosta is a useful diagnostic character. A. flavescens and A. leptoloba are remarkable in having yellowish stellate hairs on young shoots and at the base of the phyllodes. The indumentum of the phyllodes determines to a great extent the overall silvery grey appearance of A. aneura, A. cambagei, A. harpophylla, A. pubifolia and others. |

There is considerable variation between and within species in the texture of the phyllodes and branchlets. Some species, especially in north-western Queensland, are extremely resinous to the touch. Of note are A. asperulacea, A, vernicifiua, A. monticola, A. phlebocarpa, A. viscidula, A. ixiophylla, A, lysiphloia, A. chisholmii and A. hilliana. A. melleodora is resinous but not cae sticky and has a distinctive fragrance that persists even on dried material. A. laccata has a varnished appearance.

STIPULES. The presence of stipular spines is characteristic of subgenus Acacia (see Guinet 1969; Ross 1973) and all the Queensland representatives of the subgenus have them at least when young. There is no special relationship between ants and plants as there is in some American and African species of the subgenus.

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The stipules of subg. Heterophyllum are, with some exceptions, small, inconspicuous and often evanescent. A. paradoxa and A. victoriae are exceptional among the Queensland species, in having stipular spines, those of A. victoriae . being sometimes. reduced to blunt knobs. Stipular spines, which are also found in some Western Australian species, do not indicate either close affinity with Species of subgenus Acacia or, for the Queensland species at lcast, with each other, The stipules of A. macradenia are rather membranous when young but become hard, reflexed and almost spiny.

LEAVES. Mature plants of species of subg. Heterophyllum except sections Botrycephalae and Puichellae have phyllodes while those of subg. Acacia, subg. Aculeiferum and sections Botrycephalae and Pulchellae have leaves only.* Seedlings of all species of the genus have true leaves, whether or not they eventually develop phyllodes. Except in subg. Aculeiferum the first leaf developed is always pinnate. Vassal (1972) in a detailed discussion of evolutionary trends within Acacia has suggested that there is an evolutionary trend: Pinnate-bipin- nate+phyllodes. Some evidence indicates however that section Botrycephalae with bipinnate foliage evolved from section Phyllodineae with phyllodes,

The succession of juvenile leaves was investigated by Cambage (see refer- ences 1915 to 1928) and by Vassal (1972) who distinguished four “modes des succession foliaire’ based on the primordial pinnate foliage.

Vassal’s categories might be further subdivided to account for species where the pinnate foliage is followed immediately, not by bipinnate leaves but by phylodes—A,. confusa with one pinnate leaf (Cambage 1929; Li 1974), and A, harpophylla (Cambage, l.c.) and A. georginae with two.

Cambage and Vassal found that most species of subg. Acacia and Aculeiferum have seedlings of Vassal’s Mode 2 with a few Mode 18, and characters of seedlings may be useful in elucidating the origin and relationships of major groups of species.

Stebbins (1950) suggested that the retention of pinnate or bipinnate seed- ling leaves has a selective advantage and that species in which the seedling leaves persist the longest are native to regions which are moister than those inhabited by most of the species in which the adult reduced type of leaf appears at a relatively early age. Li who examined 433 seedlings of A. confusa suggested that it may have originated in a very dry region and that it might be the most advanced species of the genus. Both suggestions should be treated cautiously though Stebbin’s hypothesis could prove to be substantially true.

In A. aneura temperature affected the development of phyllodes following the seedling leaves (Carr and Burdon 1975) and it could possibly affect the succession of pinnate and bipinnate leaves. Under field conditions some species such as A. aneura, A. georginae and A. harpophylla have few pinnate leaves, whereas others, especially A. attenuata and A. rubida, both of which may produce flowers before phyllodes develop, A. nertifolia and A. pustula have many. Flower- ing plants of A. attenuata with only juvenile leaves resemble those of A. pruinosa.

Of considerable interest is A. latisepala. In the protologue A. latisepala was. compared with A. -spectabilis var. (?)stuartii and <A. botrycephala (=A. terminalis). I have since seen plants which have well developed phyllodes' as well as bipinnate leaves. Evidently only a small proportion of

* One species of the Botrycephalae and one of the Pulchellae sometimes bear phyllodes,

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plants develop phyllodes and I think that A. latisepala is correctly placed in section Botrycephalae though it has affinities with A. rubida and other species of the Racemosae group of section Phyllodineae. The persistence of juvenile leaves, the racemose inflorescences, the linear pods and longitudinal seeds with clavate arils of the many species of the Racemosae group are also characters of many species of the section Botrycephalae. The centre of development of both groups is south-eastern Australia and it is likely that the Botrycephalae evolved from the Phyllodineae. A. Xhanburyana, evidently a hybrid species of the Phyllodineae and Botrycephalae also suggests that the two are closely related.

GLANDS, (Figure 7) The position and structure of glands are of significance in the classification and identification of Acacias. They occur on the primary axis and rarely on the secondary axis of adult leaves and sometimes of juvenile ones, and on the dorsal margin or, in some species from Western Australia, the dorsal surface of phyllodes. Hardy (1912) pointed out the taxonomic importance of their number and position on phyllodes and Maiden (1916) drew attention to the need to describe the glands, and he did so in many species he described subsequently.

The structure of glands and their position along the primary axis varies little within Queensland species of section Botrycephalae but there is considerable variation between species. The number and size of pinnae and leaflets together with the size and distribution of glands are enough to distinguish individual species.

In other sections of Heterophyllum, too, the glands are of value in identifying and classifying species. Glands of most species are inconspicuous, consisting of a more or less circular orifice surrounded by a rim usually only slightly different in colour and texture from the margin of the phyllode. Sometimes as in A. falcata and A. macradenia they may be somewhat elongated. A. pubicosta and A. polifolia have notably small glands with a small, often slightly distal, orifice. The glands of A. pustula and A. neriifolia are prominent, with a relatively large orifice and a well defined rim which projects from the margin of the phyllode (Fig. 7c). Glands of this type are termed “pustular” in the key to species (p. 102). The glands of A. perangusta project from the margin of the phyllodes but they are small and lack a prominent rim while those of A. bancroftii (Fig. 7f£) and A. wardellii are small and circular and are often placed on projections of the phyllode. Neither type has been called pustular.

In most species the gland is at, or within a few millimetres of, the base of the lamina of the phyllode. As noted previously by Hardy in some species of Uninerves (=Phyllodineae) the single gland is some distance from the base (Fig. 7c, d, g, h). Other species have several glands along the dorsal margin. Some members of Bentham’s subseries Dimidiatae of Plurinerves, eg. A. binervata and A. flavescens (Fig. 7j) have a small gland close to where the uppermost major longitudinal nerves approaches the margin. When a gland is some distance from the base it is sometimes connected to the midnerve by a connecting nerve. This is considered a diagnostic character for

A. penninervis (Fig. 7g) but it also occurs in other species of section Phyllodineae,

even in A.. decora and A. pustula when they have broad phyllodes. The nervature associated with the gland in A. penninervis is sometimes complex (Fig. 7g). Some species of the section Phyllodineae have a small gland at the tip of the phyllode as well as one or more conspicuous ones closer to the base. It is found A. bivenosa and related Western Australian species such as A. rostellifera, and in A. gnidium, A. hockingsii and A. calantha.

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SHAPE AND VENATION OF PHYLLODES. (Figure 8). Pettigrew and Watson (1975) though dubious of the usefulness of glands as key characters, demonstrated the value of vegetative characters as a whole in identifying Acacias. The arrange- ment of the phyllodes, their shape, size and venation, as well as their indumentum and glands, already discussed, enable a large proportion of Queensland species to be identified without reference at all to flowers and fruits. In the key to species vegetative characters have been used not only to distinguish major groups but also to distinguish related species. The use of vegetative characters might be extended by using some utilized by Pettigrew and Watson.

Species of section Lycopodiifoliae have regularly whorled phyllodes. Species of this section have a general appearance different from all other species of the genus, and one might expect the taxon to have higher rank. The species do not differ from others in the characters of the flowers and pods, however, and other species not included in the section also have verticillate phyliodes. A. verticillata is excluded because of its spicate inflorescence; A. cedroides is rather arbitrarily excluded on account of its prominently ribbed phyllodes; while A. baueri is included despite its phyllodes being sometimes scattered, not verticillate, and its stipules being sometimes absent. Other species, especially A. conferta, A. brunioides and A. ruppii otten have phyllodes in groups and are somewhat intermediate between the Phyllodineae and _Lycopodiifoliae.

A, triptera is the only Queensland species with phyllodes decurrent on the ’ stem,

There is a considerable range in the length of the pulvinus. The phyllode corresponds to the petiole and rachis of a pimnate leaf (Boke 1940) and it is more accurate to refer to the basal part as the pulvinus rather than the petiole. The term has been used by Maslin (1974). In A. latifolia and A. cretata it is hardly developed at all but it is, on the whole, of little value in distinguishing species.

In contrast to species from Western Australia relatively few Queensland ones have quadrangular or terete phyllodes. Those of A. cyperophylla and A. rigens are always terete but in A. ramulosa, which has been poorly collected in Queensland, and A. coriacea they vary from terete to flat, sometimes on a single plant. It seems that the major and perhaps only difference between A, arida and A. orthocarpa is that the phyllodes of the former are flat and those of the latter terete,

There is considerable variation in the shape of phyllodes, not only within species but also on single plants. Some species have juvenile phyllodes different in shape and sometimes indumentum, from the mature phyllodes. Juvenile phyllodes of A. juliflora and A. sparsiflora are straight, almost elliptic and densely tomentose in contrast to the falcate, elongate glabrous adult phyllodes. On the other hand juvenile phyllodes of A. maidenii are much longer and narrower than adult phyllodes. A few species of the Juliflorae never develop the mature foliage of the type that related species develop but retain what are apparently juvenile phyllodes throughout their life. This phenomenon is well known in eucalyptus such as Eucalyptus melanophloia and E. pruinosa. The retention of juvenile phyllodes is difficult to demonstrate in Acacia where most species do not have distinctive juvenile or mtermediate foliage characteristic of Eucalyptus but the adult phyllodes of A. striatifolia are so like the juvenile ones of A. blakei that they might be regarded as persistent juveniles, and the

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same might also be true of the phyllodes of A. brevifolia and A. pubifolia,. The indumentum of the latter might be considered analagous to the retention of indumentum similar to that found on the juvenile phyllodes of A. julifera and A. sparsiflora.

In the description of species the length, breadth, and leaf index (length/ breadth ratio) of phyllodes is given. There is a wide range of variation im length and, to a lesser extent, breadth. The relationship between length and width of phyllodes has been investigated for many species with large phyllodes and the following equation has been found to hold for all species studied:

logit — abt oc where b is the width and 7 the leaf index of the phyllodes and a and ¢ are constants for each species,

_ This property of the phyllodes has been used in an attempt to elucidate relationships among some members of the Microneurae group of the Plurinerves, When three mature undamaged phyllodes of a number of herbarium specimens were measured highly significant linear equations for species were derived.

‘As might be expected in a group of ‘closely related. species the regression lines are with one exception close and more or less parallel. A. microsperma has an exceptionally high value of c. The regressions therefore have only limited application in distinguishing species but they may be useful in confirming that Species are identical.

Since Bentham’s first dliedification of Acacia (1842) it has been recognised that the venation of phyllodes is an important character in classification and identification. It is significant that Australian workers, the latest being Burbidge and Gray (1970) who constructed a key making use of vegetative, floral and fruiting characters, Court (1972) and Pettigrew and Watson (1975). who empha- sised or used vegetative characters exclusively, have all used the venation of phyllodés as a major distinguishing character. In the key to the Queensland species (p. 102) characters of the phyllode have been used as much as possible but because of. the large number of species other menpholoeical characters have been used where necessary.

Species of sections Plurinerves and, when A. dorothea is excluded, Juliflorae have plurinerved phyllodes and those of Phyllodineae uninerved ones. It is convenient to follow Black (1924) and treat tetragonous phyllodes as being uninerved. In plurinerved phyllodes the major longitudinal nerves extend from the pulvinus to the apex, except in species of the Dimidiatae groups of both Plurinerves and Juliflorae where all but one of the major nerves terminate at or near the dorsal margin below the apex.

Boke (1940) found that after the development of the first three vascular bundles of the phyllodes of A. longifolia the formation of subsequent ones was dependent on the growth of the lamina. That is, the number of longitudinal nerves was related to the width of the phyllode. Measuring a large number of phyliodes of A. maidenii revealed that the relationship between the breadth of the phyllodes and the number of longitudinal nerves is statistically significant. It is believed that such a relationship holds for most plurinerved species.

The venation of uninerved phyllodes is also affected by an increase in width. Such species, such as A. decora, have markedly penninerved, broad phyllodes in contrast to narrow phyllodes without any marked lateral nerves. In extra- Queensland plants of A. verniciflua increasing breadth in phyllodes is ‘correlated with the development of a second longitudinal nerve. The relationship between

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width of phyllode and development of an accessory longitudinal nerve has been investigated in A. bivenosa (Pedley, 1977). In this species phyllodes more than 10 mm wide has two longitudinal nerves; those less than 7 mm wide have one; and phyllodes 7-10mm have one or two, A. deuteroneura and A. difformis are apparently uninerved species with a second longitudinal nerve more or less well developed. The second longitudinal nerve rarely extends the full length of the phyllode, but in A. binervata and A. wardellii two longitudinal nerves extend the full length of the phyllode. They are apparently Plurinerves though their affinities are with A. penninervis and A. bancroftii, both Phyllodineae.

If, in plurinerved species, the width of phyllodes is correlated with the number of longitudinal nerves, then the distance between longitudinal nerves would be more or less constant. The distance between nerves of some species is markedly greater in some species than it is in other. This was recognized by Bentham who distinguished some subseries of the series Plurinerves partly on the disposition of the nerves. The Nervosae group is rather heterogeneous but A. complanata, A. excelsa and the related species mentioned on p. 84 have widely spaced nerves, a character which sets them apart from other groups of the Plurinerves. The distance between longitudinal nerves is also a character which separates closely related species of the Juliflorae. In the key to species the number of longitudinal nerve is expressed as a number per mm, the phyllode being measured across its widest part. The differences are not great and there is an overlap of values in related species but it is of value in distinguishing A. leptocarpa, A. oligophleba and A. tropica which have widely spaced nerves from other species with crowded nerves.

Species of the Microneurae group of the Plurinerves (A. calcicola, A. cambagei and A. cana) and some of the Juliflorae (A. blakei, A. curvinerva, A. julifera, A. striatifolia, etc.) have crowded longitudinal nerves without anastomosing nerves between them (Fig. 8e), but many plurinerved species have anastomoses between the longitudinal ones. Though the anastomoses of some species are so distinctive that they are easily recognized (Fig 8c, h), on the whole the differences between the patterns of venation of related species are slight and difficult to define. Only the Dimidiatae group of the Juliflorae are distinguished in the key from other species by their anastomoses. In the Dimidiatae group the ultimate vein islands are more or less equilateral. Whereas in other species they are elongate, usually more than three times as long as broad (Fig. 8d).

INFLORESCENCE, (Figure 9). The flowers of most species of Acacia are arranged either in heads or in spikes and the nature of the inflorescence is a convenient character to use in subdividing the genus. Ross (1973) discussed its usefulness for African species, It is sometimes difficult to determine whether the inflorescences of some species are in spikes or in heads. Though A. clivicola, A. curranii, A. lysiphloia and A. granitica are all placed in the Juliflorae their inflorescences are often reduced to only slightly elongate heads. One subspecies of A. nuperrima has flowers in spikes (Fig. 9g), the other flowers in heads. The change from spikes to heads and the reverse have probably occurred many times during the evolution of Acacia and speculation as to what type is more primitive appears to be fruitless, | ,

Tindale and Roux (1969), in discussing the occurrence of flavanols in the heartwoods of Acacia spp. suggested that the Plurinerves and Juliflorae might be more closely related than is generally believed. It may be significant therefore that species with plurinerved phyllodes have either capitate or spicate inflorescences, whereas those with uninerved phyllodes always have capitate ones.

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The arrangement of heads and, to a lesser extent, spikes is another useful character in defining groups of related Species, Bentham used the fact that heads are arranged in racemes or single or in pairs in the axils in his circumscription of subserics within his major series Uninerves (= section Phyllodineae) and Plurinerves, Other morphological characters are correlated with those of the inflorescence (Johnson 1973) and differences in inflorescences are therefore important in the classification of the Phyllodineae.

As well as the division of species into one group with heads on axillary peduncles and another with heads in racemes, there is considerable variation in the structure of racemes, which permits some subdivision of the second group. Inflorescences of various types (Fig. 9) are shown somewhat intermediate between the axillary and racemose. The heads are on peduncles in the axils of reduced phyllodes but these are borne on indeterminate, but usually short, branches, The racemes of most species are determinate with all the heads opening together. Those of A. penninervis, A. platycarpa, A. hemignosta and other species are indeterminate and centrifugal. Consequently these species flower for a long period. Occasionally the axis of the raceme of some species such as A. bivenosa and A, blakei grows out into a leafy shoot and then the heads are lateral.

There is considerable variation between species in the size of racemes. Those of A. penninervis are up to 12cm long with 15 to 30 branches. Sometimes the branches are again branched so that the raceme is compound. On the other hand the axis of the racemes of the Microneurae group of section Plurinerves are often less than 1 cm long (Fig. 9c). The inflorescence of A. complanata, A. simsti and related species (see p. 84) consists of four heads in two pairs (Fig. 9f). One head of each pair opens before the other and at the same time as the first opening head of the other pair. In the key to species I have regarded such an inflorescence as a condensed raceme though it is impossible to determine from the gross mor- phology whether the inflorescence has been derived from a raceme,

The arrangement of spikes is not of great importance in classifying and identifying species, but the Icngth of the spike and arrangement of flowers (sparse or otherwise) are somewhat more important. The longest spikes are those of A. concurrens, A, leiocalyx and A. longispicata which are up to 10 cm long. Flowers are often sparsely arranged along the rachis of long spikes.

Many Queensland species of Acacia are andromonoccious, Their inflores- cences consist of both staminate and bisexual flowers—-a phenomenon noted for A. baileyana by Newman (1932b) and for A. nilotica by Sinha (1971). Individual spikes or heads may even consist wholly of male flowers but usually at least a few bisexual flowers occur. Environmental factors during the development of the flowers may determine the proportion of male flowers. It is noteworthy that a rudimentary ovary is often found in functionally male flowers and is usually glabrous, even in species where normally developed ovaries are pubescent.

COLOUR OF FLOWERS. Except for those of A. purpureapetala which are pink, the flowers of Queensland species of Acacia range in colour from almost white (A. calyculata and A, longissima) to orange-yellow (A. venulosa). The colour is mote or less constant for each species. Ross (1971) dealing with species of Acacia in Natal, considered flower colour to be a taxonomically important character but in Queensland it appears to be useful only in distinguishing closely related taxa, especially in the field. The flowers of A. venulosa and A. saxicola are a deeper yellow than those of the closely related A. baeuerlinii and A. ulicifolia respectively; and those of A. brunioides subsp. granitica are deeper than those of A. brunioides subsp. brunioides, Colours of the flowers of some species

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in south-eastern Queensland are given in Appendix 2. The colour of the flower is due mostly to the colour of the staminal filaments which project from the flower.

BRACTS. Following Maslin (1972) I have referred to the bracts that subtend individual flowers in either heads or spikes as bracteoles. Broadly there are two types—one with narrow, more or less terete stipe and a peltate lamina at about right angles; the other with a flat narrow claw and a somewhat broader lamina in about the same plane as the stipe. Attributes of the bracteoles are of only limited value in distinguishing species and are usually omitted from the description of species.

Bracts also occur at the base of the peduncles of axillary heads or of branches of racemes, or along peduncles, They are usually small and inconspicuous but are occasionally useful in identification. A. suaveolens is unique among the Queensland species in having heads completely enclosed before development in ovate concave bracts. This is also a conspicuous character of A. subcaerulea and some other species from Western Australia. Most species of subg. Acacia have an involucre of bracts on the peduncles and the position of the involucre was the basis of Bentham’s distinguishing three subseries of the series Guimriferae. The character is not of great value however.

FLOWERS. The flowers of Queensland species show little variation in size or structure and are of only limited value in classification or identification, All are sessile. The flowers of most species have a calyx about 1mm long, the corolla about twice as long and stamens 34mm long. Species with calyxes 0:6 mm or less long are A. cincinnata, A. lineata, A, betchei, A. fimbriata, A. argyrodendron, A, cana and A. aprepta. A few species have flowers markedly larger than the norm. The corollas of A. megalantha and A. myrtifolia are 3-4mm long. The flowers of A. baeuerlenii are exceptionally large mainly on account of the stamens (up to 7mm long) rather than the corolla which is only about 2 mm long.

There is little variation in the number or structure of floral parts. Most species have 5-merous flowers but those of A. maidenii, A. obtusifolia and their allies (all placed by Bentham in subser. Tetramerae), and the unrelated A. whitei are 4-merous,

The lobing of the calyx and corolla, and the indumentum. of the various parts of the flower are sometimes useful in distinguishing species but do not appear to be of much value in defining groups of related species. Some species of the Lycopodiifoliae have corollas with distinct, sometimes anastomosing, longitudinal herves prominent in the bud. A few species of unrelated subsections have similar corollas—A, monticola and A. phlebocarpa (Plurinerves) and A. helicophylla (Juliflorae), a species from the Northern Territory.

. Stamens vaty little, except in number, from species to species, None of the Australian species examined has glandular anthers a character of some species of subgenus Aculeiferum (e.g. A. willardiana Britton & Rose).

Guinet (1969) discussed the pollen of Acacia at considerable length and also reviewed previous work of Coetzee (1955) and Cookson (1954). He found that species of Filicinae and Vulgares (.e. subg. Aculeiferum) have pollen with pores, as many as there are sides, placed towards the angles of the monads; species of Pulchellae, Botrycephalae and Phyllodineae (subg. Heterophyllum) have pollen with pores and furrows, the pores placed towards the angles; and the Guimmiferae (subg. Acacia) with pores fewer in number than the number of sides, placed on the distal faces of the monads. On pollen morphology alone a few species of sub, Heterophyllum would be placed in subg. Aculeiferum but by and large differences in pollen are correlated with other morphological characters,

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The polyads usually contain 16 pollen grain, There are departures from the norm, however, some of which may have some taxonomic significance. The polyad of four large pollen grains found in A. baueri is specially interesting and further investigation of Lycopodiifoliae is indicated. ' | :

pops. (Figure 10) A feature of Acacia is the great diversity of its pods. If undue weight is given to differences in pods and the similarities in so many other characters disregarded, then many segregate genera might be recognized for. the genus in Australia, as was done by Britton and Rose (1928) for American species. A classification based entirely on pods would lead to the dissociation of some species which other morphological characters suggest are related. In some cases, however, characters of the pod may prove useful in delimiting subserics,

Bentham (1864) commented that “in the majority of specimens gathered, the pod is neglected by collectors”. Less than a fifth of the collections at BRI include fruit. For some common coastal species which fruit regularly, such as A, fimbriata and A. podalyriifolia, this is due to the neglect of collectors, probably because flowering plants are conspicuous and fruiting ones are not. Fruiting material of other species, have not been available to collectors. Johnson (1964) and Preece (1971b) discussed the irregular fruiting of the widespread and con- spicuous species A. harpophylla and A. aneura respectively.

The- great majority of the species of Acacia found in Queensland have flat linear dehiscent pods with seeds arranged longitudinally. The valves are some- times, as in A. concurrens, A. leiocalyx and A. maidenii, rather fleshy when immature, but the valves of the pods of all species are corlaceous or woody when mature, Linear pods are straight or coiled, usually irregularly so, but the pods of A, solandri (Fig. 10e) are regularly coiled and the valves of those of A. cincinnata (Fig. 10c) are fused, forming a solid spiral. Pods are sometimes constricted where seeds have aborted but some species (e.g. A. coriacea, A. torulosa) have regularly moniliform pods (Fig. 10g). The pods of A. stenophylla (Fig. 10h) are tardily dehiscent and are strongly constricted between the seeds. The pods usually break into single-seeded loments. The pods of A. pendula (Fig. 10k) and at least some variants of A. aneura are thin and have a dorsal wing.

Species with flat pods with transversely arranged seeds are not common but they occur in some Queensland species. Species closely related to each other (A. brunioides and A. conferta; A. dictyophleba and A. melleodora; A, flavescens, A. platycarpa and A. rothii; A. aulacocarpa and A. crassicarpa) have pods with transverse seeds (Fig. 10j, 1, m). Other species with transverse seeds are presumably taxonomically isolated, at least from other Queensland species, though, considering the overall resemblance of A. podalyriifolia, with transverse seeds, to A. jucunda and A. uncifera, with longitudinal seeds, this may not always be true.

A. leptostachya has pods of two types—a narrow pod with longitudinal seeds and a broader one with transverse seeds. The diversity of pods as well as floral and foliage characters suggests that there are more than one species may be included in A. leptostachya but so few specimens include pods that it has not been possible to establish correlation among the different characters.

Flat pods either with longitudinally or transversely arranged seeds occur in species throughout subg. Acacia and Heterophyllum, but two distinctive types of pod are found mostly in section Juliflorae. A few species, notably A. stipuligera, A, acradenia, A, julifera and A, curvinervia have linear more or less straight pods

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terete in cross section (Fig. 10f) while the pods of A. brachystachya and A. ramulosa are somewhat broader than thick but definitely not flattened. The pods of A. umbellata are also more or less terete but short.

The other pod is flat, broadest at the top and tapers regularly to the base which is often without seeds for some distance. The valves are hard, almost woody and often transversely veined. At maturity the valves separate at the apex and roll back releasing the seeds or leaving the seeds suspended on the funicle, see figure of A. australis (= A. calyculata) in van der Pij! (1972). The seeds are arranged longitudinally or obliquely in the pod. Species with such triangular pods are: A. argyrea, A. brevifolia, A. limbata, A. calyculata, A. conjunctifolia, A. hilliana and A. orthocarpa, A. whitei (Fig. 10d) and A. hyaloneura have pods which dehisce in a similar way but they are not noticeably tapered at the base.

SEEDS. Characters of the seeds are useful in the taxonomy of Acacia but they have only limited value as only a small proportion of the small number of specimens with pods have mature seeds, Vassal (1971) examined seeds of 127 species of Acacia, 84 of which occur in Australia, most of them in subg, Heterophyllum. On the whole the seeds of species of subg. Heterophyllum were found to be smaller than those of subg. Aculeiferum and Acacia. A. peuce has exceptionally large seeds. Vassal found a wide range of sizes in the Juliflorae and Plurinerves, but a narrower range in the Phyllodineae. Seeds of the Botrycephalae are similar in size to those of the Racemosae group of the Phyllo- dineae. The size of the areole, the area enclosed by the pleurogram (Corner 1951), in relation. to the size of the seed, and whether it is open or closed were found to be more or less constant for each species. The areole has been found to be a character of some importance in the taxonomy of Acacia (Brenan 1959), Vassal defined four major types of funicle, depending on their thickness and the extent of their encircling the seed, All four types are found in subg. Heterophyllum and the funicle could be of great value in distinguishing species and in defining relationships between groups of species.

Delimitation of Species In his discussion of the species-concept in Quercus, Burger (1975) pointed out that, ideally, the biological species and the plants included under a binomial should be identical. Biological species consist of systems of populations separate from each other by at least partial discontinuities which must have a genetic base (Stebbins 1950). In many plants data, either field or experimental, are insufficient for the adoption of the biological species-concept.

In the absence of genetic data I have tried to use the category of species as it has been used over the past two centuries, I have been influenced by the concepts of Morton (1966) and the discussion of Fisher (1965). It should be specially noted that a subspecies has a geographical or ecological range distinct from those of other subspecies, but that in part of its range it may not be distinguishable from other subspecies.

In some cases a variant of a species may be considered worthy of recognition but no decision can be made regarding its rank. Though this situation exists it is not considered a valid argument for having only one infraspecific category as was proposed by Raven (1974). I believe both the categories “subspecies” and “variety” are useful and have used both. ai

95

Some wide ranging species show more or less clinal variation over a wide area, variation difficult to deal with in an orthodox system of nomenclature. An extreme example is A. bivenosa, the variation of which has been studied mainly from herbarium specimens (Pedley 1977) but variation of a similar sort occurs in A. arida. In the northern part of Western Australia A. arida has flat minutely pustulate phyllodes up to 5mm wide, There is a more or less regular reduction in width as one proceeds eastward. A. orthocarpa which is a species to some extent maintained for convenience represents the extreme of the variation. Variation of a similar type occurs in A. translucens and A, wickharnii,

The variation of some species does not appear to be regular, possibly because sufficient data are not available. One such species is A. aneura. There is some suggestion (Pedley 1973) that on the eastern edge of its range in Queensland the variation of A. aneura has some regularity, possibly linked with polyploidy, but the variation of the species in Western Australia and the Northern Territory is seemingly irregular. The. variation of other species of arid areas, such as A. brachystachya and A. ramulosa and of tropical coastal areas such as A. holosericea and A. torulosa, also require investigation.

Acacia leiocalyx is widespread, exhibiting a considerable range of variation, particularly in length of flowering spikes, time of flowering and, to some extent, indumentum of the calyx. Two subspecies have been recognised in Queensland but the species extends southward to about the latitude of Sydney and other subspecies may occur in the southern part of its range. A. penninervis also has a wide range in Queensland and New South Wales and a variant from south-eastern Queensland has been recognised as a variety, mainly because there is a name for it in this rank. The species, however, is not well understood and the range and geographical extent of variation should be studied, particularly in inland parts of its entire range.

Naturally occurring hybrids of Acacia are rare in Queensland, One specimen (Tugun, White 7112) probably represents a hybrid between A. obtusifolia and A, sophorae in a habitat somewhat in between those of the parent species. The area has been altered to such an extent since the specimen was collected that it is unlikely that similar plants occur there now. Specimens (Johnson 893, Young sn) collected between Mundubbera and Brovinia Creek, Burnett District, appear to represent an A. bancroftii «x A. macradenia hybrid. In cultivation hybrids of section Botrycephalae are frequently found. A. decurrens and A. baileyana which are naturalized in cooler parts of southern Queensland, are frequently involved in such crosses.

Cytology

. Most species of Acacia have a diploid complement. of 26 chromosomes (Darlington & Wylie 1955) and, though less than one per cent of the species have been examined, it seems that polyploids are much more common in subgenus Acacia than in other subgenera. Ross (1973) discussed the significance of this for African species, All species of subgenus Heterophyllum have 2n—=26 except A. koa, A. heterophylla, A. brachystachya, and A. aneura (2n=52), A, sowdenii (2n= 38), and A. deanei subsp. paucijuga (2n=39) (Hamant et al. 1975, Briggs in Tindale 1966, Pedley 1973). Except for the pantropical A, farnesiana and the naturalized A. nilotica, both of which have 2n=—52, there are no available data for Australian species of subgenus Acacia.

== EPR PSS PPG A EST EH AO RT

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The relationship between chromosome number and ecological preference demonstrated for Eremophila glabra by Ey & Barlow (1972) may also apply to some species of Acacia. If postulations regarding the evolution and diver- sification of A. aneura (Pedley. 1973) are correct then polyploids might be expected not only in A. aneura and A. brachystachya but in other species with wide ranges in arid parts of Australia.

Khan (1951) noted that the chromosomes of Acacia are small, between ca 1 and 3 » long and that those of the few species of subg. Heterophyllum studied tended to be longer than those other subgenera. Khan’s general findings were confirmed by the more detailed studies of Vassal and Lescanne (1976).

Ecology

It is noteworthy that, though communities in which eucalypts predominate are widespread in Australia, they are absent in northern areas where annual rainfall is less than 600 mm, except where there is extra run-on water (Pryor 1959). In these semi-arid and arid areas Acacia spp. are the predominant woody plants. Some species such as A. aneura, A. argyrodendron, A. cambagei, A. georginae and A. harpophylla form extensive, almost pure stands. In a large area of south-western Queensland studied by Boyland (1974) 25 species of Acacia were found and only 12 species of eucalypts.

Acacia occurs virtually throughout Queensland, being scarce or absent only in most rainforests and in grasslands on fine-textured soils, Though the range of the- genus is not therefore limited by environmental factors, the distribution of individual species or groups of species is sometimes correlated with environmental factors. Some broad patterns of distribution (Juliflorae and Lycopodiifoliae mainly in the north; Botrycephalae in the south-east) have been determined as much by past climatic and edaphic factors as by present ones.

. One of the most important factors determining the distribution of perennial plants is the availability of water. Species such as A. binervata, A. maidenii, A, melanoxylon and A. oshanesii are confined to areas of high rainfall whereas others including A. clivicola, A, ensifolia, A. peuce and A. tetragonophylla occur’ in arid areas. The season when rain falls and the length and severity of the dry season, as well as other climatic and edaphic factors, are also Significant. Farmer ef al. (1947) related the distribution of A. aneura, A. cambagei, A. cana, A. harpophylla and A. pendula to the incidence of summer and winter rain, and Nix and Austin (1973) who used more complex systems of analysis showed that A. aneura is absent from semi-arid regions with a regular summer or winter drought. A feature of the climate of much of northern | Australia is the marked seasonality of the rainfall, and the ranges of species such as A. galioides and other Lycopodiifoliae, A. argyrodendron, A. simsii and A, platycarpa may be determined by the length of the dry season.

The effect of rainfall is most pronounced in arid and semi-arid areas but even in wetter parts of the state the distribution of some, Acacia mangium, for example, is restricted to parts of north-eastern Queensland where rainfall is high and there i is no appreciable period of drought.

Just as eucalypt communities (noteably, those in which Eucalyptus micro- theca predominate) penetrate into arid and semi-arid regions in places where extra water is available, species of Acacia also occur outside their normal ranges where there are favourable “run-on” sites in arid regions. The availability of water often determines the distribution of species within plant communities,

97

especially in arid and semi-arid areas (Perry 1970). Acacia cambagei is, on the whole, a more xeric species than A. harpophylla and where the two occur together, such as in the basin of the Suttor, A. harpophylla occupies moister sites on stream lines or on the edges of gilgais.

Low and irregular rainfall is usually correlated with high average tem- peratures and the effect of temperature alone is often not easy to determine. There is evidence that high soil temperatures are possibly lethal to seedlings of some Acacias and may inhibit seed germination (see Burrows 1973). In arid regions regeneration may therefore be confined to areas protected from direct solar radiation by leaf litter, logs, etc. Groving of A. aneura may be maintained by the survival of seedlings within, but not between groves, and the association of A. leptostachya and A. melleodora with groves of Eucalyptus

similis near Lake Buchanan may also be due to high soil temperatures between groves.

The effect of low temperatures is not as obvious as the effects of high temperatures. The coldest part of the state, the area with the highest incidence of frost, is country above 750m in the vicinity of Stanthorpe. A. dawsonii, A, filicifolia, A, rubida and A. stricta and other species widespread in temperate Australia are confined to this part of Queensland but, as the area of high land more or less coincides with an area of sandy soil derived from granite, edaphic as well as climatic factors may be significant. Incidence of frost within a small area may influence the local distribution of species, but the distribution of Acacia generally is not known in sufficient detail for any inferences to be made.

In Queensland most species of Acacia favour coarse textured, well drained, infertile soils and edaphic factors must therefore determine the ranges of many species. A. bivenosa subsp. wayi and A. dictyophleba are more or less confined to sand dunes in the south-western part of the state. Except for A. sophorae which occurs south of about Maroochydore no species is restricted to coastal dunes. Species such as A. flavescens and A. julifera which occupy this ecological niche are widespread on free draining coastal sands generally. A few species, e.g. A. baueri, A. pubirhachis and A. ulicifolia occur in coastal heaths on sandy soil that is often water-logged for long periods. Despite the tendency of Acacia to occur on coarse textured soils some wide ranging and economically important species are restricted to clay soils. Notable are A. argyrodendron, A. cana, A. cambagei, A. harpophylla, A. melvillei and A. pendula, all belonging to.the Microneurae group of the Plurinerves, and A. victoriae and sometimes A. salicina, both Phyllodineae. These species are often found in pure stands close to grasslands and in some cases encroaching on grasslands.

Other soil characteristics, particularly parent material, seem at times to be important in determining species distribution, though consideration of a single soil factor distinct from others is impossible. Some species are associated with deeply weathered rocks on scarps, remnants of the Tertiary land surface, that are widespread in semi-arid parts of Queensland (Gunn 1967; Boyland 1973), These species sometimes form short catenary sequences and their position relative to other plant communities can often be predicted with some accuracy. The best development of these catenas is along the Grey Range. A. clivicola occurs on shallow lithosols on dissected tops of hills while down the scarps there is a sequence: A. petraea, A. ensifolia, A. catenulata and A. microsperma, Species of the catena have different geographic ranges so that different sequences are found in different parts of Queensland. Other species that indicate deep weathering of rocks are: A. aprepta, A. shirleyi, A. microcephala and possibly A. rhodoxylon. |

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Francis (1951) stated that only A. bakeri and, with some doubt, A. aulacocarpa assumed the qualities of rainforest tree types in Australia. He did however include in his work A. melanoxylon and A. fasciculifera, Webb and Tracey (in Pedley and Isbell 1971) recorded A. aulacocarpa in drier and depauperate rainforest types on steep upper slopes of the MclIlwraith Range, and A. cincinnata and A. mangium also occur in similar situations in other parts of northern Queensland. The absence of Acacia spp. from rainforests is probably due to their intolerance of low light intensities. In south-eastern Queensland A. melanoxylon is a pioneer regrowth species after rainforest has been cleared (Williams et al. 1969) but it is not found as a consituent of mature rainforest, That it does grow on sites previously occupied by rainforest indicates that it tolerates relatively high soil fertility. Clearing of rainforest or eucalypt forest often results in dense regrowth of A. aulacocarpa and A. concurrens in the south, and A. crassicarpa and A. flavescens in the north. Such regrowth may be due in part to the increased light intensity when the tree layer is removed.

_ Except in arid areas where not enough fuel accumulates to sustain them, wildfires occur more or less regularly wherever Acacia grows. In many parts of coastal Queensland fires are an annual occurrence. Severe fires kill all but the largest trees but regeneration is usually rapid, from seed for most species, but from root suckers for A. argyrodendron and A. harpophylla. Most species of Acacia have hard seeds with a coat impervious to water (see Ching 1971, for Acacia confusa). Germination depends on the breakdown of the seed coat, usually over a period of years, with a consequent germination spread over a long period. Heat treatment breaks the impermeability of the seed coat. After a fire there may be a mass germination of seeds. Near Brisbane 75 secdlings in an area slightly less than a metre square were seen in a recently burnt area beneath a tree of A. podalyriifolia. A striking case of mass germination of A, torulosa in a relatively undisturbed community has been reported by Webb et al, (1974). The seeds of A. harpophylla and A. argyrodendron are unusual. They lack an impervious testa and rapidly lose their viability (Johnson 1964). Regeneration of both species is usually from regrowth with develops from roots.

Because. of mass germination of seed following fire and because many species are heliophilous, dense stands of Acacia often form on newly cleared and burnt land. Grazing by domestic animals may control this growth but dense thickets are formed on roadsides. Often plants are much more. abundant on roadsides than they are in adjacent undisturbed or grazed communities.

The activities of man have had a considerable effect on the abundance and geographic range of some species. Possibly the most drastic .of these activities has been the deliberate clearing of land for agricultural and pastoral activities. In the period 1963-1968 about 190 000 hectares of vegetation dominated by A, harpophylla was “pulled” (cleared by pulling with heavy machinery) in the basin of the Fitzroy River (Anon. 1968). Undisturbed plant communities are now difficult to find in such areas but many plants of A. harpophylla remain along roadsides and in shade and shelter belts. There has been a great reduction in the abundance of A. harpophylla with little reduction in the overall range of the species. Clearing of. vegetation has most affected species that grow in extensive, more or less pure stands, such as A. aneura, A. argyrodendron, and A. cambagei and there is a need for conservation of untouched areas of such species.

-In coastal near urban areas diminution of the ranges of a few species has occurred where their habitats have been affected by clearing and drainage

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operations associated with housing developments. The persistence of A. baueri, A, attenuata and other species of wet coastal heath south of Brisbane, is in doubt.

Cultivation of some species has resulted in extension of their ranges. A, decurrens is adventive near Toowoomba and Stanthorpe. Because of the extensive cultivation of A. podalyriifolia it is now difficult to determine whether some occurrences of the species in the Brisbane area are natural. This species is also well established at Herberton probably the result of a garden escape. A few plants of A. spectabilis, another species widely grown as an ornamental, grow spontaneously on a roadside in the Brisbane area and further spread of. the species is likely.

Reproduction and Dispersal

TIME OF FLOWERING. The majority of Queensland species of Acacia flower at the same time each year regardless of weather conditions prior to flowering, possibly a photoperiodic response, Many species flower in the period June to September, the driest part of the year in most of the state. Most species flower for a relatively short time, often less than six weeks, but some have long periods of flowering. In south-eastern Queensland A. maidenii and A. penninervis, may flower over a period of four months during the summer.

Some species flower in response to rain if temperatures are high enough. In cultivation in Brisbane A. deanei and A. oshanesii flower almost continuously. A. harpophylla usually. flowers from June to September, but if soil moisture is low it may not flower at all. Other species of drier parts of the state have similar behaviour. Preece (1971a) found herbarium specimens of A. aneura with flowers for every month of the year but from experimental work he concluded that at his study site, near White Cliffs, N.S.W. (30°5’S 143°04’E) rain ae in spring and late summer induced flowering.

The strictly seasonal and more faculative flowering may be related in some way to the two types of shoot growth phases reported by Maconochie (1973). He found that one group of plants, including A. ligulata, A. murrayana,.A. sowdenii and A. victoriae, seemed to produce new growth after spring flowering, while a second group, A. aneura and A. kempeana included, exhibited seasonal growth if soil moisture were available and also a growth response to summer rain. All but one of the Acacias of the first group are Phyllodineae and both of the second group Juliflorae. The two types of growth behaviour may reflect either a difference in the geographical origin of the groups or a fundamental physiological difference between the groups. Considerably more data are required.

Heithaus et al. (1974) suggested that andromonoecism which is character- istic of many species of Acacia might be associated with specialization for pollination by pollen vectors that are large relative to stigma size. Pollination in Acacia, however, appears to be effected by insects pg large in relation to the size of the stigma.

Solbrig and Cantino (1975) found that for several species of Prosopis, a related mimosoid genus with spicate inflorescences, only two or three flowers in every thousand developed fruit. This would also be true of many species of Acacia in Queensland. They postulated that the production of a large number of flowers is an adaption that serves to attract insects to individually small flowers. They could only speculate why so few flowers produced fruit, though clearly there.

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is an upper limit to the amount of photosynthate that plants can use to produce seeds. If every hermaphrodite flower were to produce a pod the yield of seed would be extremely high and beyond the capacity of the plant. Despite the relatively few pods formed the seed yield of individual trees of Prosopis and Acacia is high. In Central America Jantzen (1969a) found that nine plants of A, farnesiana with canopies ranging in size from 0-5 to 1-8 m® yielded 83-6647 seeds (6—252 gr).

Despite the fact that insects are used in the control of undesirable plants, plant ecologists have to a large extent ignored the effects of insects in determining the composition of plant communities (Bullock 1967). The destruction of the seeds of legumes is important in the regulation of adult plant population density. The predation of bruchids (Bruchidae, “seed weevils”) on the seeds of Central American legumes has resulted in different adaptive strategies among parasitized and non-parasitized species (Jantzen 1969a). Bruchids are not significant parasites of Acacia in Australia though seeds are, of course, eaten by other insects.

There has been considerable speculation but little data on the dispersal of seeds of Acacia. Jantzen (1969b, 1974), in his study of the biology of. the swollen-thorn Acacias of Central America, found some species to be effectively distributed by birds. The seeds of these species are enclosed in a sweet white to yellow pulp or aril and in most species the pod opens to expose the pulp when ripe. The presentation of seeds on hanging funicles was considered by van der Pijl (1972) as evidence that they. were dispersed by birds. He figured A, australis (== A. calyculata) and A. falcata (with “juicy, folded funicles’’). Middlemiss (1963) found that in South Africa seeds of A. cyclops, an Australian species naturalized there, were eaten and passed whole by ten species of birds. Some were wide ranging and likely to be efficient agents of dispersal. Four of the ten were doves (Columbidae). In Australia seeds of Acacia are eaten by some species of pigeon (Lea and Gray 1935, Frith and Barker 1975, Frith ef al. 1974, 1976) and probably are vectors in their dispersal. Parrots (Psittacidae) eat seeds of Acacia (Lea and Gray 1935) but it is doubtful whether they would be passed whole by most species. I have seen mature seeds of A. maidenii eaten by lorikeets (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) which have tongues adapted to the gathering of pollen and nectar and may therefore be less effective in crushing and digesting seeds than other species that habitually eat seeds. If birds disperse seeds then plants with red or orange arils, such as A. auriculiformis, A. oraria and A. salicina, may have an adaptive advantage. On the basis of the observed dispersal of five species and the study of the morphology of 13 other species Berg (1975) considered about 300 species of Australian species of Acacia were probably dispersed by ants. The data presented do not warrant such sweeping conclusions. There is a suggestion (unpublished reports, Queensland Department of Primary Industries) that seeds of A. nilotica are spread by cattle and goats. More information is needed on the dispersal of seeds by herbivores, sespesially native ones, as well as by birds and ants. :

The role of animals in the dispersal of Acacia is probably minor. Most seeds fall to the ground beneath the parent trees or are projected a short distance by the explosive dehiscence of the pods. Seeds of plants, such as A. aulacocarpa, A. salicina and A. stenophylla, which grow along streams must be dispersed by water, but they are not specially adapted for it. The lack of special dispersal mechanisms supports the hypothesis that Acacia did not come to Australia from Asia across rather wide sea barriers but it makes the presence of members of subg. Heterophyllum in the Hawaiian islands difficult to account for.

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Common names

One of the aims of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is the stabilization of botanical names, and though this has not been completely achieved, scientific names are more stable than common ones, In Australia “Wattle” is the name gencrally applicd to species of Acacia especially those with showy flowers, The name may be qualified in various ways e.g. black wattle, silver wattle, green wattle, etc., but many specics have no common name and some names are applicd rather haphazardly. ‘The names of even common species are different in different parts of their ranges, and one common name may be applied to more than one species. In New South Wales A. pendula is known as “boree” and in Queensland as “myall” while the name “boree” in Queensland refers to A. cana and “myall” in South Australia is A. sowdenii. Lancewood is the name almost invariably associated with A. shirleyi but other species such as A. burrowii, A. petraea, A. sparsiflora and A. torulosa which sometimes form dense stands of slender’ unbranched trees are also known in some arcas as lancewood., |

Many species from inland Queensland have well known common names often derived from aboriginal names. Many are species of the Microneurae group and are economically important; namely, gidgee (A. cumbagei), brigalow (A. harpophylla), myall (A. pendula), Georgina gidgee (A. georginae), boree (A. cana), bowyakka (A. microsperma) and womal (A. maranoensis). Equally well known are mulga (A. aneura), bendee (A. catenulata) and mineritchie (A. cyperophylla) which are all members of the Juliflorae.

Notes on text

The work is based largely on collections in the Queensland Herbarium (BRI). Specimens from other herbaria have been examined but are only occastonally cited. Where they are, the usual acronyms are used to indicate herbaria, The type specimens cited have been examined, except where otherwise indicated.

I have cited only a few specimens of each species. These are intended to indicate broadly the geographic ranges of the species in Queensland, and are as far as possible, specimens with duplicates in large European herbaria. All collections at BRI are listed in the index to collectors, No distribution maps are given but it is hoped that these will be presented in a separate paper on the distribution of Acacia in Queensland.

In the citation of specimens localities are listed under pastoral districts (see map on inside back cover). As well as these precisely delimited areas a number of more general localities are mentioned—south-eastern Queensland: Leichhardt district south of about 25°S Jatitude, Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs and Moreton Districts; north-western Queensland: Burke District west of about 141°E longitude; north Queensland: Queensland north of about 20°S latitude; south- western Queensland: Gregory South and Warrego districts west of about 146°E longitude; Granite Belt: elevated granite country around Stanthorpe (see Pedley 1976).

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Key to Queensland species of Acacia Key to groups | The groups to a large degree are equivalent to the sections and subgenera recognized (see p. 81). The corresponding sections are indicated in parentheses.

1. Mature plants bearing phyllodes. Pinnate and bipinnate leaves found only on seedlings or on “reversion” shoots on old plants, rarely persisting for © several years and then rarely flowering when only bipinnate foliage

present, 2s Plants with bipinnate leaves only, never with phyllodes, he

2. Flowers in heads , 3. Flowers in spikes . Group I. (Section Juliflorae)

3. Phyllodes + terete, in regular whorls of 5-27, whorls sometimes oblique; prominent stipules alternating with the phyllodes Group III. (Section Lycopodiifoliae) Phyllodes not in regular whorls, occasionally in groups of 3-4, usually flat when dry, occasionally terete or quadrangular in cross section

4. Phyllodes either + triangular, short (less than 1-5 em long) the lower margin straight, the upper concave, often with a gland at the broadest part, or broadest at the base and tapering gradually to a pungent point, or broadest in lower quarter and upper margin + abruptly contracted so that phyllode tapers into rather long pungent point; heads on axillary peduncles. Group IV. (Sections Phyllodineae and Plurinerves, in part)

Phyllodes often more than 1-5 cm long, not triangular or if so, then heads in racemes.

5. Phyllodes terete, subterete or quadrangular in section, or flat and narrow without prominent nerves but sometimes with obscure translucent longi- tudinal nerves, or longitudinally folded. Group V. (Section Phyllodineae, in part)

Phyllodes terete or flat, with many longitudinal nerves when terete or with at least one longitudinal nerve when flat 6:

6. Phyllodes flat, uninerved, sometimes with secondary longitudinal nerve developed. Group VI. (Section Phyllodineae, in part)

Phyllodes plurinerved, terete or flat. Group II. (Section Plurinerves)

7, Stipules inconspicuous, not spinose; flowers in heads arranged in racemes in the upper axils or forming terminal panicles.

Group VIi. (Section Botrycephalae)

Plants with either stipular spines (at least when young) or with prickles; flowers in heads or in spikes on peduncles single or in Broups in the axils 8.

8. Trees or shrubs with stipular s apities, flowers in heads or in spikes Group VIII. (subgenus Acacia) Lianes with prickles on the stems; flowers in heads Group IX, (subgenus Aculeiferum)

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103

GROUP I . Phyllodes decurrent on stem for some distance, pungent pointed 1. A, triptera Phyllodes articulate on stem, not broadly decurrent ~ 2.

Phyllodes terete or flattened, less than 2:5 mm wide and more than 20 times as long as wide, longitudinally stniate or ribbed, nerves not anastomosing, or without nerves and punctulate a

Phylicdes more than 2:5mm wide, or if narrower then less than 20 times as long

as wide, longitudinally striate, the nerves sometimes anastomosing 18. Phyllodes Jess than 5cm long 4, Phyliodes more than Scm long | | 6.

. Stipules prominent, branchlets very resinous; phyllodes with 2 prominent longitudinal

nerves . 2. A. chisholimii

Stipules. not prominent, early deciduous; branchlets not very resinous; many parallel longitudinal nerves, all equally prominent or at least more than two nerves more ' prominent

Branchlets and phyllodes usually with silvery indumentum. Calyx with free spathulate

lobes; pod flat more or less winged 10, A. aneura ‘Branchlets glabrous (sometimes scurfy); calyx not deeply lobed; pod flat but raised over seeds alternately on each side 45. A. clivicola

Phyllodes more or less terete, punctulate, resinous; pod flat and woody, attenuate at the base and opening elastically from the top 3, A. orthocarpa

Phyllodes flat or terete, finely striate, or distinctly nerved, not punctulate; pod flat or cylindrical, not opening elastically i

Branchlets with long silky hairs, becoming glabrous; phyllodes usually with similar hairs at least at base and apex, rather flexuose, 13-18 cm long; spikes less than icm long 4. A. curranii

Branchlets glabrous or with short appressed hairs; phyllodes without silky hairs, often shorter; spikes (except in A. granitica)} longer 8,

. Phyllodes terete, rather sharp pointed 5, A, eyperophylla

Phyllodes subterete or flat, not sharp pointed .? ee

Calyx divided + to base; branchlets often with appressed ‘hairs or greyish bloom; phylicdes often with minute appressed hairs 10

Calyx truncate sinuolate, or lobed, but not lobed to middle, branchlets glabrous, rarely scurfy and sometimes glutinous, phyllodes glabrous 13.

Pods leaf-like, flat, winged (the wing up to 2mm wide, sometimes quite rudimentary); calyx lobes free to base, linear but slightly thickened and expanded at apex 10. A. aneura

Pods not leaf-like and winged, sometimes cylindrical and thick; lobes of calyx shortly united at base so that it can usually be dissected from flower intact Ai.

Phyllodes not particularly thick, one nerve distinctly more prominent than the rest 9, A. tanumbirinensis

Phyllodes thick, sometimes terete with many parallel equally prominent nerves 12, PhyHodes often terete, occasionally flat but thick; pod cylindrical, 7-9 cm _ long, longitudinally nerved 11. A, ramulosa

Phyllodes thick but flat (? never terete); pod rather turgid, thickened (up to 2:5 mm thick), 3-6cm long 12, A. brachystachya

Spikes less than Icm long on peduncles 0: 5—2.mm_ long; . phyllodes 10-20 cm long 1

3, A. granitica

Spikes more than 1cm long or peduncles 5417 mm long; . shiviloies 5-18 cm. long Cf .(2-)3-5 spikes on axillary axis 4-8 mm or more long—see couplet 43) 14,

58237—B

14,

15,

16.

17.

18.

13,

20,

21.

22.

23.

24,

25.

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Phyllodes up to 1:6mm wide, all longitudinal nerves equally prominent or more than

one more prominent 15, Phylodes more than 2mm wide, one longitudinal nerve more prominent than the rest 16, ‘PhyHodes 0-7—-1-1(-1-3) mm wide, all nerves equally prominent; branchlets more or less terete with resinous ribs 6, A. tenuissima Phylilodes up to 1:6mm wide with distinct marginal nerves and 2 raised nerves on each face with a faint nerve between them 7. A. jackesiana

Peduncles 1-1-5 cm long; calyx 0-6 mm long, ca 4 as long as corolla 8. A, guymeri

Peduncles less than 1 cm long; calyx 0-7-1:1 mm long, usually at least half as long as calyx

Calyx 0:7-1:1mm long with lobes 0:2-0:3 mm doe peduncles 1-4 mm, long; elongate areole # as long as seed 14, A. caroleae

Calyx 1:041+1 mm long truncate or slightly incurved at top; peduncles ca 7 mm long; areole pale, semi-circular . 15. A. adsurgens

Phyllodes less than 4cm. long and less than 4mm wide ¥ 19,

Phyllodes either more than 4cm long or more than 4mm wide 22.

Branchlets glutinous sometimes with scattered appressed hairs often obscured by the resin; phyllodes with secondary nerves obscure or translucent; spikes dense on peduncles 12cm, long 20,

Branchlets glabrous; phyllodes with 1-3 prominent fnsiiudmal nerves, the secondary nerves definite or absent, not translucent; peduncles often shorter 21.

Phylicdes with 2 prominent longitudinal nerves; pod fiat, obliquely veined, not attenuate at the base nor opening elastically from the apex 16. A. lysiphloia Phyllodes usually with many parallel nerves sometimes 3 slightly more prominent; pod

flat but woody, attenuate at the base and opening elastically from the apex 17. A. hilliana

Phyllodes single, in 2’s or 3’s; spikes not very dense on peduncles less than 7 mm long; pod winged on adaxial margin 18. A. conjunctifolia Phyllodes never .in groups; spikes dense on peduncles 6-17 mm jong; pod not winged 19, A. wickhamii

Phyllodes with parallel longitudinal nerves, not anastomosing, sometimes obscure (see Fig. 8b) 23

_Phylicdes with definitely anastomosing nerves, usually conspicuously so but in A, brassti

and A. quriculiformis only slightly so (and in A. limbata usually only at base and apex) (see Fig, 8d) _ . . 66.

Phyllodes 0:5-2cm x 2:5—7mm, 1-6 times as Jong as wide; margins more or less undulate especially when broad, glabrous 19. A. wickhamii

Phyllodes either pubescent, or, more than 6 times as long as wide, or if less than 6 times as long as wide, then more than 2cm Jong or more than 6mm wide; margins not undulate 24,

Phylilodes less than 6 times as long as wide, or if slightly longer then with indumentum of rather spreading hairs; usually more than 1 cm wide, with numerous rather crowded parallel longitudinal nerves (at least when dry), the nerves not hidden in the tissue of the phyllode; pods usually narrow with longitudinal seeds, if broad and transversely nerved then opening elastically from the apex 25,

Phyllodes more than 6 times as long. as wide, glabrous or with indumentum of appressed hairs, if spreading hairs then more than 10 times as long as wide, nervature various; pods various, including narrow and opening elastically from the apex and ‘broad sometimes transversely veined but not opening elastically from the apex 34, -

Phyllodes on mature plants markedly pubescent; spikes on pubescent peduncles up to 3mm long 26

Phyllodes on. mature plants glabrous or with rather sparse indumentum at base; spikes usually on longer peduncles 27,

Ad. ne oomggantiomnas itachi

@

26,

27.

28,

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30.

31. a2, 33,

34.

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37.

38.

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Spikes sessile; calyx 0-5mm long, more or less truncate; pods flat ca 4mm _ broad 20. A. pubifolia

Spikes shortly pedunculate; calyx ca 1mm long, shortly lobed; pods terete 21. A acradeénia

Branchlets terete, vernicose; phyllodes 10-16cm * 2:5—5 cm 22. A. laccata

Branchlets at least slightly angular, not vernicose; phyllodes usually less than 12cm long . 28,

Flowers large, 3:5mm or more long; pod woody, ca 8mm wide opening elastically from apex 23. A megalantha

Flowers smaller, to about 2mm long; pod usually narrow but if broad then not woody 29,

Branchlets coarse, angular; phyllodes + upright paralleling the stem, usually 9-12 cm.

1-2-2 cm 24. A, emcee

Branchlets slender, sometimes angular; phyllodes usually spreading, usually 3:5—-10 cm xX 0-6-3 cm 30,

Phyllodes 3-5~7 cm long, somewhat falcate (lower as well as upper margin curved); young ones with reddish brown scurf 25. A. curvinervia

Phyllodes 2:5-10 cm long, more or less straight, not with red-brown scurf when young 31,

Phyliodes less than S5cm long, 1:3-1:8cm wide 26. A, spania Phyllodes more than 5cm long, 1-5-3 cm wide 32. Calyx 0:9-1-1mm long; spikes up to 3cm long 27. A. umbellata Calyx shorter; spikes 3—5 cm long S35 Phyllodes + symmetrical, elliptic (both margins concave) 28. A, str iatifolia

- Phyliodes asymmetrical, lower margin straight or convex, upper concave

29. A. fenuinervis

Branchlets pubescent with short appressed hairs (rarely long and somewhat spreading); mature phyllodes often silvery grey with indumentum of short appressed hairs or rarely longer and somewhat spreading hairs; young tips not dark; phyllodes straight or slightly falcate a5;

Branchlets of mature plants glabrous or rarely with scattered hairs; phyllodes glabrous

or with scattered hairs at the base; young tips sometimes dark; phylodes straight or markedly falcate 39,

Spike sessile with hirsute rachis; pod papery ca 1cem wide with transverse seeds; phyllodes not silvery 30. A. pubirhachis

Spike on short peduncle, hairs on rachis not long; pods various, but if broad with transverse seeds then not papery

Branchlets angular with translucent ribs; spikes 3-4 com long; calyx membranous (0:4—) 0-6--0'75 mm long with short obtuse lobes; pods flat from 3 mm wide with longitudinal seeds to 9mm wide with transverse seeds 31. A. leptostachya

Branchlets slender, angular; spikes 1-3 om long; calyx 0:4—-1-1mm long, deeply abe pods flat, winged or constricted between the seeds, but seeds longitudinal

Pod flattened but thick, calyx deeply lobed but usually 2 or 3 lobes can be dissected together 12. A. brachystachya

Pod flat, either winged or constricted between seeds, calyx deeply lobed, difficult to dissect anything but separate lobes 38.

Calyx 0-6-1:1mm long; pod leaf-like, flat with a wing up to 2mm broad on the dorsal edge 10. A. a@neura

. Calyx 0:4-0-7mm long, pod flat, constricted between seeds 32. A. catenulata

39.

40.

41.

42.

43,

44,

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48.

49,

106

Spikes subsessile, less than 1cm long; phyllodes more than 30 times as long as wide 13, A. granitica

Spikes more than 1cm long or not subsessile; phyllodes often less than 30 times as long as wide

Phyllodes with distinct scarious mucro ca 4mm long; stipules scarious; spikes on rather long peduncles (6-12 mm long) often with bracts or isolated flowers below the main spike 52. A. hemsleyi

Phyllodes without scarious mucro; stipules not scarious; spikes without bract or isolated flower

2—5 spikes on axillary shoot 4-8mm or more long, sometimes elongating into leafy shoot; nerves of phyllode not running into margin at base nor phyllode pubescent; phyliodes up to 2cm (rarely 2:5cm) wide 42.

Spikes usually single or in pairs on minute axis in axils usually not long nor elongating but af so then nerves of phyllode running into margin at base or phyllodes pubescent or more than lcm broad 44,

‘Phyllodes linear, 2-5 mm wide, 15-60 times as long as wide 14. A, caroleae

Phyllodes narrow elliptic or lanceolate, straight, or falcate, 4-18(—25) mm wide, 4-20 times as long as wide 43

Phyllodes 4-10(-12) cm x 410mm, 3:5—-16(-19) times as long as wide, leaves on

young plants elliptic; calyx pubescent at base 33. A. burrowii— Phyllodes 8-16(-19) cm ™X 8-18(-25) mm, 6-15(-19) times as long as wide, broader on young plants; calyx glabrous or pubescent at the base 34, A. blakei

Pods broad, woody, transversely veined, not opening elastically from. the apex, more than 1:Sem wide with transverse seeds; phyllodes 7-20cm x 640mm, up to 12 times as long as wide; young tips not dark AS,

Pods usually mot woody but if so then up to 12mm wide and opening elastically from the top; phyllodes usually less than 17mm wide or if wider than young tips dark 46.

Pulvinus 4—12(—16) mm -long; pods 2-5-3:5cm wide 35, A. crassicarpa Pulvinus 4-7 mm long; pods 1-5S—2.cm wide 36. A. qulacecarpa: Phyllodes with prominent midribs and 3-7 widely spaced conspicuous nerves on

each side of it; flowers sometimes 4—merous; calyx ca i mm long, corolla 2-3 times as long; peduncle less than 5mm long; pod linear ca 7mm wide with pale raised margines 38, A. whitel

Not the above combination of characters. If midrib prominent then more secondary

nerves or secondary nerves obscure, or if about the same number then calyx notably membranous and more than half as long as the corolla and peduncle more than 5mm long. Pod otherwise; if linear, then not with pale raised margins 47.

Calyx membranous, lobed almost to the base; phyllodes less than 5mm wide, more than 8 cm long and more than 25 times as long as wide 9. A. tanumrbirinensis

Calyx not lobed beyond the middle; phyllodes either more than 5 mm wide, or less than 8cm long and 25 times as long as wide 48,

Spikes on peduncles more than 5mm long; phyllodes often more than 15 times as long as wide 49,

Spikes on peduncles up to 5mm long; phyllodes often less than 20 times as long as wide 59.

Phyllodes more or less straight with midnerve slightly or markedly more prominent than the rest, more than 10cm long; branchlets and neryes and margins of phyllodes rather yellowish 50.

Phyllodes straight or falcate with more than 1 major longitudinal nerve; branchlets on nerves and margins of phyllodes usually not yellowish; or less than 10cm ong 53.

We cdi pts Scat east whet sl si enmleiti bo—snsncdneniaiaygitsonnne

107

50. Calyx ca 1mm long, corolla less than twice as long as calyx; phyllodes 1-5~3-5 mm broad, 20-60 times as long as broad; spike dense 1-1:5cm long. Rare plants from tropical parts of the State S31.

Calyx to 0:75mm long; corolla more than twice as long as the calyx; phyllodes 2°5-7(-9) mm broad, 15-45(—60) times as long as broad; spikes dense 1-5-2cm long or only moderately dense 2-3-5cm long. Commoner species gee

51. Phyilodes with prominent midrib and 1-3 less prominent sometimes translucent nerves on each side of it; gland small 4-10 mm from the base; calyx membranous glabrous, loosely investing corolla 39, A. drepanocarpa

Phyllodes with many parallel longitudinal nerves, the middle one most prominent; gland basal, large but with a small orifice; calyx tightly appressed to the corolla, with a few hairs 15. A. adsurgens

52, Phyllodes with one longitudinal nerve the other obscure; spikes dense on glabrous peduncles; calyx lobes fimbriate; pod woody, 12mm wide, attenuate at base and opening elastically from top; seeds obliquely transverse, areole closed

40, A. ancistrocarpa

Phyllodes with many parallel nerves, the central one slightly more prominent; spikes only moderately dense on peduncles sometimes appressed pubescent at the base; calyx lobes hirsute; pod ca Smm wide, not opening elastically from top; seeds longitudinal with small open central areocle 41. A. shirleyi

53, Phyllodes on mature trees falcate (i.e. both upper and lower margins curved), more than 9cm long; on young plants sometimes ovate and pubescent; spikes up to 4cm long; pod 3-3:5 mm wide 54.

Phyllodes more or less straight, up to 16cm long; phyllodes on young plants not pubescent; pods 3-5mm or more wide 55

54, Peduncles 10-15 mm long; spikes 10-25 mm long. Confined to Warrego and Gregory

South Districts 42. A. petraea Peduncles 5-10 mm long; spikes 20-40mm long. More widely spread, known only from a few places in Warrego and Gregory South Districts 43. A. sparsiflora

55, Phyllodes greyish with many fine parallel longitudinal nerves, none more prominent ' than-.the rest, up to 5-5cm long 56,

Phyllodes green or yellowish with usually two prominent longitudinal nerves or nerves indistinct in coriaceous phyllode; phyllodes 5—-16cm long

56. Phyllodes 4-10mm wide; spikes 10-15mm long; pod 10-15mm wide with seeds

3-5 &* 3mm . 44, A, kempeana Phyllodes 1--3 mm wide; spikes 3-7mm long; pod 4-6-5mm wide, rarely 10 mm, with seeds 3 & 2-2:5mm 45, A. clivicola

57. Phyllodes less than 6mm wide; pod 8 mm wide with transverse seeds 46, A. hammondii Phyllodes more than 6mm wide; pod up to 6mm wide with longitudinal seeds 58.

58. Nerves of phyllodes indistinct; spike dense 2-3 cm long; pod not coiled 37. A. rhodoxylon Nerves of phyllodes distinct, two more prominent than the rest; spike open, 3-8 cm

Jong; pod coiled 47, A. solandri 59, FBwilodes with prominent nitdnerve and -+ parallel translucent secondary nerves; . pod opening elastically from apex 48, A. hyaloneura

Secondary nerves not translucent; if pod opening elastically then branchlets flattened

‘

60. Branchlets flattened; flowers very pale, almost white; pods opening elastically from - the top 49. A. calyculata

Branchlets not flattened; flowers not as pale; pods various, never opening elastically 61.

61. Phyllodes with 2 nerves more prominent, 5-10cm long; pod membranous, brown,

glutinous, shining, with transverse seeds 46, A. hammondii

Phyllodes either with many fine parallel equally prominent nerves or with 3 more prominent (not consistently 2); pod with either longitudinal or oblique seeds or if transverse then phyllodes Jess than 5*5cm long 62,

.

62.

63.

64.

65,

66.

67.

68,

69,

70.

71.

Ts

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Pods flat 4-11 mm wide with traverse or oblique seeds; phyllodes tending to be

broadest above the middle, with many fine parallel longitudinal—nerves,-none—much————

more prominent than the rest, 3-8:5cem xX 2-9mm. Young plants more or less glabrous 63, Pods terete or flat, sometimes constricted between the seeds; phyllodes usually broadest at or below the middle with fine parallel longitudinal nerves, usually 3 more prominent than the rest, 7-25cm * 5-27 mm. ‘Young plants sometimes Eoin Oe

Spikes dense 5-12 mm long; calyx pubescent 0-6-1 mm long 56. Spikes interrupted 6-25mm long; calyx sericeous or ribs becoming more or less glabrous, 0:5 mm long 50. A. aprepta

Branchlets yellowish, sometimes glutinous; phyllodes straight or slightly falcate, 5—10(-13) mm wide, gland basal with rimmed orifice; pod moniliform, up to 10cm long, 4mm broad, narrowed to 1-5 mm S51. A. torulosa

Branchlets usually reddish, not glutinous; phyllodes 5-25 mm broad, strongly falcate when narrow, gland basal, inconspicuous; pod terete or flat, not moniliform 65.

Young plants densely pubescent. Pods terete, obscurely longitudinally wrinkled when dry; phyllodes 5-25 mm wide, strongly falcate when narrow (on. mature trees)

53. A. julifera

Young plants often with phyllodes different from those of older plants but not

pubescent; pod narrow but flat; phyllodes only occasionally strongly falcate; calyx

only sinuolately lobed 43.

Phyllodes up to 7-5 times as long as wide either sessile or abruptly contracted into- stout pulvinus 2-3 mm long; all parts of flower glabrous

Phyllodes 2:5-35 times as long as wide not sessile not abruptly contracted into stout pulvinus, or all parts of flower not glabrous 68.

Phyllodes sessile, 8-llem x 2:5-4:5cm, 2-4:5 times as long as wide; spikes on

peduncles 2-5 cm long 54. A. latifolia Phyliodes 7-13 cm .x* 1-3:5cm, 2:5-7:5 times as long as wide on stout pulvinus 2-3 mm long; spikes on peduncles 1-2.cm long 55, A. cretata

Phyllodes with rather fine secondary nerves forming reticulum, the nerve islands elongate (more than about 3 times as long as wide), occasionally the anastomoses infrequent (e.g. A. brassii, A. auriculiformis and A. solandri) 69.

Phyllodes usually large and not elongate, with very conspicuous reticulum, the nerve islands not elongate (less than 3 times as long as wide), the nerves often yellowish and the major ones running together at the base near the lower margin; plants often

pubescent © OG, Flowers predominantly 4—merous 70. Flowers 5—merous ; 75,

Phylilodes coriaceous, 5-19cm x 8-22mm, 3-20 times as long as wide, with a prominent basal gland, 2, 3 or 5 nerves more prominent than the rest and with 3-7 longitudinal nerves between the major ones; flowers at anthesis 2-5 mm or more

long; calyx glabrous 71. Phylodes of thinner texture; gland not prominent. Flowers at anthesis less than 2 mm long; calyx glabrous or pubescent 72. Phyllodes 5-10 cm long, 3-6 times as long as wide; spikes sessile, dense, up to 3cm long 56. A. sophorae Phyllodes 8-19 cm long, 4-20 times as long as wide; spikes pedunculate, sparse, 4-6 cm long 57, A. obtustfolia

Phyllodes linear to linear-lanceolate, 6-16 cm * 1-19 mm, 14-70 fined as long as wide, with a distinct midrib and 6 or fewer conspicuously widely spaced secondary nerves. Calyx ciliate, otherwise glabrous 58, A. longissima

- Phyllodes 5-20cm long, 5-35 times as long as wide; secondary nerves not widely

spaced, more than 6 besides the midrib (if any) 73.

73;

74,

75.

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77.

78,

79.

80.

81.

82.

83.

84,

85,

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Mature phyllodes more than 1cm wide, 10-20cm long, 5-16 times as long as wide: branchlets lenticellate, sometimes golden pubescent. Calyx and rachis of spike golden pubescent - 59, A. maidenii

Phyllodes less than 1cm wide, 8-35 times as long as wide; branchlets and rachis glabrous or with white appressed hairs

Phyllodes 5-10 cm long, 8-18 times as long as wide; branchlets aa some phyllodes with appressed hairs; rachis subglabrous; calyx more or less glabrous 60. A. floribunda

‘Phyllodes 10-20cm long, 15-35 times as long as wide, branchlets with few appressed

hairs, not lenticellate; rachis glabrous, calyx hirsute 61. A. orites

Phyllodes 2-5-6 times as long as wide; peduncles 1—2:4cm long; spikes more or less dense 1+2—2:5cm long; pod attenuate at the base opening elastically from the top 76,

Phyllodes usually more elanwate: peduncles shorter; pod neither attenuate at the base nor opening elastically from the: itop 78.

Branchlets and pods pubescent; phyllodes finely reticulate, more or less pubescent

62. A. argyraea Branchlets and pods glabrous; phyllodes coarsely reticulate; glabrous ; 77. Phyllodes 4-5-6 cm long, 2—4 times as long as wide; pods 4-5 cm long 63. A. brevifolia

Phyllodes 5-8 cm long, 3+3-4:5 times as long as wide; pods ca 6cm long 64, A. limbata

Phyllodes less than 5cm long, never with densely pubescent branchlets 39, A. drepanocarpa Phyllodes more than 5cm dong, or if shorter then branchlets densely pubescent 79. Young tips golden-yellow; branchlets with indumentum of yellow hair; pods tightly coiled with longitudinal seeds 65. AY -cincinnatas Tips not golden-yellow (except A. cowledna); indumentum of ibiadichlets not yellow; pods not tightly coiled 80,

Phyllodes yellowish, two longitudinal nerves most prominent, branchlets densely pubescent 66. A. stipuligera

- Phyliodes usually not drying yellowish; if only two longitudinal nerves more prominent

than the rest then branchlets not densely pubescent and phyllodes more than 6cm

long 81. Phyllodes up to 25cm x 5--10cm, 2—4 times as long as wide 67 As mangiunt Phyllodes up to 25cm long and up to 5cm wide, rarely less than 4 times as long

as wide 82. Spikes dense up to 2:5cm long 83, Spikes sparse to dense, 3-10 cm long BA,

Branchlets, peduncles and phyllodes glutinous; phyllodes bent near the base so as to be more or less parallel to the stem 24, A. gonoclada

Branchlets, peduncles and phyllades pubescent at least when young; phyllodes spreading 68. A. cowleana

Branchlets rather slender, angular, glabrous or occasionally pubescent, often with conspicuous lenticels; flowers 4—5—merous; corolla 4 times as long as the short

(0:4-0:5 mm iong) calyx 59, A. maidenii Branchlets, if with conspicuous lenticels, then stout and angular; flowers 5S—merous, calyx 0- ‘6mm or more long, corolla 1:43 times as long as the calyx 85.

Phyllodes with 2 prominent longitudinal nerves, up to 16mm wide; spikes interrupted up to 8cm long; pods flat but coiled 47, A. solandri

Phyllodes with usually 3 prominent longitudinal nerves or if only 2 then phyllodes more than 16mm wide; spikes sparse. to dense, 3-8cm long; if pods flat then sometimes loosely and irregularly coiled 86,

86.

87.

88,

89.

90.

91,

92. 93.

94,

93;

96.

97.

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Secondary longitudinal nerves rather crowded, not very anastomosing, the major ones not tending to run together in the middle of the phyllode at the base; phyllodes 15-30. mm wide, 4-8 times as long as broad, Plants of Cape York Peninsula 87,

Secondary nerves rather widely spaced anastomosing or if crowded then major ones tending to run together in middle of phyllode at the base; phyHodes 6-30 mm. wide, 25-18 times as long as broad. One species occurring in Cape York Peninsula, but not confined to it 88.

Spikes dense on densely pubescent peduncles; calyx deeply lobed; corolla 1:4—-1-6 times as long as the calyx; pod narrow raised over seeds and constricted between them with longitudinal seeds 69. A. brassti

Spikes interrupted on glabrous peduncles; calyx shortly lobed; corolla 2-3 times as long as the. calyx; pod flat with undulate margins and transverse seeds 70. A. auriculiformis

Phyliodes with 2-3 major nerves longitudinal running together in the middle of the phyllode at the base, secondary nerves rather crowded; spikes sparse; pod flat 6-8 mm wide; seeds longitudinal, encircled by the funicle 71, A. polystachya

Phyllodes with usually 3 (sometimes only 2) major nerves concurrent with each other or with the margin at the base or free, usually not running together in the middle of. the phyllode; spikes rarely sparse; pod flat or subterete, up to ca 4mm wide,

funicle not encircling the seed 89, Branchlets pubescent, hairs either short (0-1.mm) and appressed or long (0-2-0:4mm) and spreading 90. Branchlets glabrous or scurfy, not pubescent 92. Indumentum, of branchlets short and appressed 91, Indumentum of branchlets long and spreading 98.

Spikes 6-12 cm Jong on peduncles 6-8(-15) mm long; calyx pubescent 75a. A. longispicata subsp. longispicata

Spikes 3-4cm long on peduncles (5—)7-13 mm long; calyx glabrous or with a few

hairs at the base 73, A. oligophleba Secondary longitudinal nerves widely spaced (less than 25/cm) 93. Secondary nerves less widely spaced (more than 25/cm) 95, Calyx 0:4-0:6mm long; ovary glabrous 72, A, tropica ‘Calyx 0:6-1:2 mm long; ovary pubescent 94,

Phylodes tending to be widest above the middle; spikes 3-4cm long on peduncles 7-13 mm long . 73. A. oligophleba Phyllodes widest about the middle; spikes 4-5-7cem long on peduncles 5-8 mm long 74, A. leptocarpa

_ Pulvinus short, less than 5 mm long: calyx glabrous or some flowers of the inflorescence

with a few hairs at the base 96. Pulvinus more than 5mm long; calyx glabrous or with few or many hairs mainly at the base

Branchlets glaucous; phyllodes abruptly contracted into pulvinus 2-3 mm long 55, A. cretata Branchlets glabrous, often reddish; phyllodes tapering to pulvinus (2—)3-5 mm long . 78, A. leiocalyx Spikes dense; phyllodes 14-24 cm long, 9-20 times as long as wide; calyx glabrous or with a few basal hairs 16. A, crassa

Spikes only moderately dense; phyllodes 10-16cm Jong, 3-5-9 times as long as wide; calyx always with some indumentum 77, A. concurrens

98.

99,

100.

101.

102.

103.

111

Phyllodes with widely spaced longitudinal secondary nerves (16-24/cm), 1:3-4cem wide, 4-8(—12) times as long as wide; spikes dense; calyx pubescent 715b. A. longispicata subsp. velutina Phyllodes with crowded eb sudes nerves (30-45/cm), 0°8—2:2 cm wide, 5°5—18 times as long as wide; spikes sparse, calyx glabrous or with a few hairs at the base 76b. A, crassa subsp. longicoma

Branchlets stout, very acutely angled 100, Branchlets not particularly stout, terete or ribbed 102, Phyllodes 1:5~9:5cm broad, 2-9 times as long as broad usually pubescent; rachis

glabrate; corolla at least partly pubescent 79, A. holosericea

Phyllodes 3-7cm broad, 1:5-5-5 times as long as broad; rachis tomentose or sericeous; corolla glabrous

3—5 longitudinal nerves prominent, not running together near base of phyllode; corolla

1:4mm long 80. A. nesophila 3 longitudinal nerves prominent, running together near base of phyllode; corolla —2-5mm long . 81. A. grandifolia Phyllodes acute, usually with two prominent nerves, 4:5-6cm > 9-17 mm, spikes 2-3 cm long on peduncles 1mm long 66. A. stipuligera Phyllodes obtuse, mucronulate with usually 3-4 prominent longitudinal nerves 103, Trees; spikes 4cm Jong; corolla glabrous 82. A. dimidiata Shrubs; spikes 1:5-3cm long; corolla with long hairs; bracteoles conspicuous before anthesis 83, A. humifusa GROUP IL

Nerves not at all reticulate, either fine and crowded with sometimes one more prominent than the rest, or nerves - equally prominent and not crowded, or nerves obscure; often with appressed hairs, usually not with spreading hairs and mot glutinous Di

Phyllodes with 1,2,3,5, or more prominent longitudinal nerves and anastomosing secondary nerves, sometimes not conspicuous; sometimes glutinous and sometimes with spreading hairs 7

- Pao }

L

Phyllodes terete, glabrous with ca 16 longitudinal nerves, JS-13 cm long; heads in axillary pairs 84, A. rigens Phyllodes flat, rarely terete and then pubescent and usually longer 3,

Phyllodes stiff and pointed, less than 7cm long with widely spaced equaily prominent nerves; heads in axillary pairs 85. A. oswaldii

Phyllodes usually not stiff though sometimes with an innocuous brown point, either with fine crowded equally prominent nerves or with 1-3 nerves more prominent than the rest, or if more widely spaced + equally prominent then more than 10cm long 4.

Phyllodes less than 4°5.cm long, heads single’ in the axils 5.

Phyllodes more than 4-5cm long, heads in reduced, rarely elongate, racemes (see also A, granitica which sometimes has flowers in extremely short sptkes in pairs in the axils)

. Phyllodes 7-25mm x 1-5~4mm, curved, often sigmoid 86, A. nuperrima

Phyllodes 20-45mm x 3-9mm, straight, with an innocuous brown point 87. A. phiebocarpa Axis of raceme | cm or more long; branchlets more or less glabrous; pods 1-2 cm wide 7, Axis shorter, or if up to 12 mm jong then branchlets pubescent; pods usually narrower 8. Phyllodes curved, tapering to each end from the middle usually 10-23 cm x 7~20 mm; heads 15-30 flowered or more 88. A. harpopltylla

Phyliodes straight, more or less parallel-sided, 8-17cm x 4-8mm, heads of ca 12 Aawars 89, A. argyrodendron

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se more than 15cm long, usually less than 5mm broad; calyx more than 1 mm

ong

Phyliodes less than 15cm long, up to 12mm wide; calyx less than i! mm long or if 1mm then phyHodes less than 12cm long 10.

‘Phyllodes up to 4mm wide, sometimes terete, thick, densely appressed pubescent; nerves fine and rather crowded 90. A. coriacea Phyllodes to 5mm wide, sparsely appressed pubescent, glabrescent, nerves rather distinct and widely spaced 91. A. stenophylla

Phyllodes more than 20 times as long as wide, up to 7mm wide, pods never winged 11. Phyllodes less than 20 times as long as wide; pods sometimes winged 16.

Heads small, usually less than 15 flowers per head, phyllodes up to 2mm wide 92. A. microcephala

Heads larger, at least 10 flowers per head; phyllodes more than 1-5 mm wide 12 Heads large (30-60 flowers); phyllodes grey-green 4-7 mm wide; seeds possibly transverse, not seen when mature 93, A. maranoensis

Heads smaller (20-30 flowers); phyllodes silvery grey, 1-5-5 mm wide; seeds longitudinal 13,

Rounded shrubs or small gnarled trees (western part of Warrego and in Gregory South district), young shoots bright green, contrasting with grey-green of older phyliodes; phyllodes 7-ll cm x 2-5 mm; calyx 0-8-1 mm long 94, A, calcicola

Small trees often with rounded silvery crowns but young growth not markedly con- trasting (from Warrego District eastward and northward); calyx to ca 0:9 mm long, but if more than 0-8 mm long then phyllodes more than ‘11cm long 14,

Trees forming dense stands (associated with scarps of weathered rock in Maranoa and Warrego districts); phyllodes sometimes slightly hooked; pods 2—-3mm wide, seeds 2°5-4 mm long 95, A, microsperma

Trees not forming dense stands on scarps; pods and seeds larger 15.

Calyx shortly lobed, corolla somewhat pubescent; pods with dense appressed hairs, appearing silvery, little contracted between the seeds. Widely spread on calcareous clay soils, sometimes forming dense stands 96, A, cana

Calyx deeply lobed; corolla glabrous; pods with sparse appressed hairs becoming glabrous,

not silvery. Restricted to small area near Thargomindah on sandy soil 97, A. ammophila

Phyllodes densely appressed pubescent when young, sparsely to moderately pubescent when old 17.

Phyllodes at most sparsely pubescent though often with greyish bloom 18.

Phyllodes 4-8 mm wide, 15-20 flowers per head; pod (including distinct wing) 8-18 mm wide with transverse seeds. Oipen tree with pendulous branches 98, A. pendula

Phyllodes 2-5-5 mm wide; 25-30 flowers per head; pod not winged, 5-6 mm wide with longitudinal seeds. Rounded tree, branches not pendulous 96. A, cana

Phyllodes usually covered with greyish bloom; trees often forming pure stands (sometintes thousands of hectares in area); heads of up to 25 flowers 19.

Phyllodes not covered with greyish bloom, usually somewhat yellowish, trees sometimes . in groves but not forming extensive pure stands 20,

Pods more or less straight 9-12 mm wide with fongiticinal seeds; calyx 0-5-0-6mm long: corolla with a few hairs on the back 99. A. cambagei:

Pods twisted and somewhat coiled 15-25mm wide with transverse seeds; calyx

0:7-0-9 mm long; corolla moderately to densely pubescent 100. A. georginae Phyllodes 11-15cm x 4-7 mm; heads of 30-60 flowers 93. A. maranoensis Phyllodes 5-8 cm long, if 4-7 mm wide then heads with less than 30 flowers 24”.

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Phyllodes 5-7 mm wide; up to 30 flowers per head; pods 3-4 mm broad with longitudinal -

seeds 101. A. omalophylla Phyllodes 7-12 mm wide; 30-50 flowers per head; pods ca 10mm broad with transverse seeds 102: A, melvillei

Branchlets and phyllodes glutinous, phyllodes short (often jens than 5cm Icng), narrow (often less than 10 mm wide), often less than 7 times as long as wide 23,

Branchlets and phyllodes not glutinous 28.

Phyllodes with 2 prominent longitudinal nerves and more or less translucent reticulate nerves between them, 2-4cm x 2-:5—5-5 mm heads in pairs in the axils

103. A. montana

Phyllodes with at least 3 longitudinal nerves prominent or - if only 2 then anastomosing

nerves raised and very conspicuous 24,

Phyllodes 2-3 cm x 3-7 mm; heads in short axillary 2~3 branched racemes, sometimes ’ elongating into leafy shoots 104. A. ixiophylla

Phyllodes longer, or if shorter, then more than 7mm wide, heads single or in pairs in the axils 25

Phyllodes 1:5-2:5cm long, 1-5—2'5 times as long as wide 105. A, monticola Phyllodes 3-8 cm long, 3~30 times as long as wide 26. Phyllodes 5-8 cm x 1-2-5 mm, 5-7 longitudinal nerves, anastomoses less conspicuous

106. A, visetdula

Phyllodes 3~7 cm * 7-18 mm, with 2—3 prominent longitudinal nerves and conspicuous anastomosing secondary merves , 27.

Phyllodes 4-7 cm * (6—) 9411 mm; corolla 2:3-2:6 mm long 107. A. dictyophleba

Phyllodes 3-4-5 cm long, up to 12mm wide; corolla up to 2 mm long wal 108. A. melleodora

Phyllodes 3:5 (sometimes 6) cm long with ca 10 parallel nerves, few anastomoses; heads of 4-6 flowers on peduncles ca 1 mm long in short axillary racemes 109. A. dawsonii

Phyllodes usually longer or with more definitely anastomosing nerves; inflorescences different—heads with more flowers

Phyllodes 1-1-5 times as long as wide, with long spreading hairs or rarely glabrous, with 3-4 longitudinal nerves and coarse reticulum between them, 3—5 cm long; heads in terminal racemes due to reduction of phyllodes at end of branches

110. A. retivenia

Phyllodes more than 1°5 times as long as wide, not often as coarsely asa: inflorescence usually not a terminal raceme of heads 30,

Heads in pans or in reduced racemes in the axils, the axis less than 1cm long; phyllodes either glabrous with 3-6 or more conspicuously widely spaced nerves with few secondary nerves, or with scattered hairs at least at the base when young and 3 longitudinal nerves and 6-12 hardly less prominent secondary nerves

Heads in axillary or terminal racemes or terminal panicles, the axis more than 3 cm long, or if shorter then branchlets, young phyllodes and inflorescences covered in” white bloom; phyllodes with 2,3,5 or more longitudinal nerves, secondary nerves many, crowded

Branchlets densely pubeserth phyllodes with scattered hairs at least at the base when young and with 3 prominent longitudinal nerves and 6-12 slightly less prominent

secondary nerves 32, Branchlets glabrous; phy Hodes glabrous with 3-6 or more conspicuous widely spaced nerves with few (only 1-2/mm in one species) secondary nerves between them 33.

Phyllodes 6-9 times as long as wide; flowers yellow, the stamens up to 4mm long’ 111. A, venulosa

Phyllodes 10-15 times as long as wide; flowers pale, stamens 6~7 mm long 112. A. baeuerlenii

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Phyllodes up to 7 mm wide ; . 34, Phyllodes more than 7 mm wide 36, Phyllodes 4—5 cm long, 9-12 times as long as broad 118b. A, excelsa subsp, angusta Phyllodes 5-5-12 cm long, 13—35 times as long as broad 35. Phyllodes broadest about the middle tapering equally to each end, acute, sometimes

apiculate; peduncles 5-8mm long; pod 4—5(—7)} mm wide 113. A. simsii Phyllodes broadest above the middle tapering to the base, acuminate; peduncles

3-4 mm long; pod 8 mm wide 114. A, ramiflora Phyllodes 2-4-5 times as long as wide; branchlets sometimes flattened 37. Phyllodes 4-15 times as long as wide; branchlets not flattened. 38.

Branchlets flattened; phyllodes with ca 9 prominent longitudinal nerves 115. A. complanata

Branchlets slender and acutely angular but not flattened; phyllodes with 4-6 prominent

longitudinal nerves 116. A. fleckeri Phyliodes rather thick, margin ribbon-like somewhat papillose with a prominent gland at the base 117. A. multisiliqua Phyliodes not markedly thick, margin not ribbon-like nor papillose 39,

Phyliodes 4-6:5cm long; pod narrowly winged, coarsely reticulately nerved, contracted between the seeds and breaking Up, 6-12 mm wide; funicle of seed not folded or thickened 118, A. excelsa

Phyllodes more than 6cm long; pod 8-10mm_ wide, occasionally slightly contracted between the seeds but not breaking up, not winged but sometimes with a prominent pale margin 40,

Branchlets flat; phyllodes usually with 3 prominent nerves; funicle half encircling seed 119. A. homaloclada

Branchlets angular, phyllodes usually with 7-10 prominent nerves; funicle sometimes

folded but not encircling the seed 41, Phyllodes 5-10 times as long as wide; peduncles 5-10 mm long; pods without pale margin 120. A. hylonoma Phyllodes 9-14 times as long as wide; peduncles 10-25 mm long; a well defined pale margin on mature pods 121, A. legnota

Phyllodes with two prominent longitudinal nerves with finer secondary nerves forming a definite reticulum; racemes axillary, elongate 43, Phyllodes with 3-6 prominent longitudinal nerves; racemes various sometimes terminal, sometimes reduced to groups of peduncles in the axils 44,

Phyllodes about 8 % 2cm, rather thin, gland ca 1mm from base with prominent rim and small orifice, sometimes linked to upper nerve by connective nerve

122. A. binervata

Phyliodes 11-16cm x 2-—3:5cm, coarser, basal gland prominent, elongated, other

projecting from marginal nerve (as in A. ‘baner oftii) 123. A. wardellii

Whitish bloom covering branchlets, young phyllodes and inflorescences before their elongation; axis of raceme to 3 em Jong; phyllodes 5-10cm x 14cm, usually 2-3-5 times as long as wide 124, A. oraria

White bloom not conspicuous though sometimes branchlets pruinose; axis of raceme often longer and phyllodes more elongate

Young tips golden, stellate hairs conspicuous on branchlets and base of phyllodes; phyllodes 9-24cem * 2-4.cm, ca 3 times as long as wide 125, As flavescens Tips not golden and stellate hairs either lacking or a few on bracts and at apex of racemes 46, Heads of 12-15 flowers on peduncles in about 4 pairs on axis 3-6cm long. Rainforest tree of S.E, Queensland 126, A. bakeri

Heads of at least 20 flowers, If trees of rainforest margins then peduncles not in pairs on axis of raceme 47.

spin ssttegteronesemenu et

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Phyllodes less than 7 times as long as wide, secondary nerves forming fine reticulum, the nerve islands small and approximately square. (If few secondary nerves. between widely spaced prominent longitudinal nerves, see couplet 33) 48,

Phyliodes occasionally 5 but usually more than 7 times as long as wide, either with many fine longitudinal nerves anastomosing to form nerve islands much longer than wide or secondary nerves -& transverse forming rather open reticulum

Calyx lobes free; peduncles up to 12mm long; pod to 1cm wide -with longitudinal seeds; funicle not folded or thickened 127. A. hemignosta

Calyx lobes united to above the middle; peduncles often more than 12mm long; pods

more than 1:5cm wide with transverse seeds; funicle thickened and folded beneath

seed 49, Pod ca 2cm wide, valves thin; seeds + flat, 5-5-6 mm xX 3-3-5 mm; a few stellate hairs at top of developing racemes and on bracts 128. A. leptoloba Pod 2-3 cm wide; valves thick and woody; seeds thick 9-l0mm x 8mm; no stellate hairs 129. A. platycarpa

Branchlets coarse, angular, glabrous; phyllodes curved, narrow oblong, 15-25cm xX 1-5-2:5cm; pod flat, transversely reticulately nerved, 3-4 cm wide, seeds transverse 130. A. rothii

Branchlets rather slender, terete and glaucous or angular with sometimes a few hairs;

phyllodes up to 16cm long and 3cm wide; pod linear, less than 7mm broad with longitudinal seeds S51,

Branchlets angular, usually with some hairs; phyllodes with rather crowded secondary nerves, rather straight; funicle passing completely around the seed and folded back on itself 131. A. melanoxylon

Branchlets terete, glaucous; phyllodes with more -widely spaced secondary nerves; prominent curved, markedly attenuate at the base; funicle once folded beneath seed 132. A. implexa

GROUP III Corolla striate, ie. with distinct longitudinal ribs (sometimes branched), peponent in ‘bud Corolla not striate . i:

Pods with stipes more than 7mm long; hairs on phyllodes less than 0:1mm long or absent; phyllodes in whorls of 5-9, 2-8 mm long on fertile shoots (longer on sterile ones) 135. A. galioides

Pods sessile, rarely apparently on stipes up to 5mm long; hairs on phyllodes usually at least 0:2 mm long or absent; phyllodes in whorls of 6-15, 2—15 mm long

. Phyllodes 10-15 per whorl, 6-11 mm long, strongly recurved towards the apex; branchlets

glabrous or subglabrous; calyx with linear or subulate, thick, often incurved lobes 2/3 to as long as prominenty ribbed tube 136, A. asperulacea Phyltodes 7-11 per whorl, 2-5-9 mm long, straight; branchlets with hairs 0-2-0-3 mm long; calyx with short broadly triangular, obtuse acuminate or laciniate lobes 3-0-4 mm broad at the base, the tube obscurely ribbed 137, A. chippendalei

Phyllodes slightly laterally compressed, recurved at the apex, in whorls of 6-8; stipules absent or up to 0:8mm long 138. A. baueri

Phyllodes somewhat vertically flattened, in whorls of 8-27; stipules always present, at least 1 mm long 5,

Phyllodes 6-10 mm long, 8-12 per whorl; corolla 1:8—-2:2 mm. long 139, A. spondylophylla

Phyllodes 10-25 mm long, 12~27 per whorl; corolla 2—2:8 mm long 140. A. longipedunculata

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GROUP IV Phyllodes plurinerved, lowest nerve -& straight running into the apex, other nerves running on to the curved upper margin a Phyllodes uninerved, the nerve running to the apex Li . Phyilodes 3-7 mm xX 3-7 mm, about as long as wide; peduncle often as long as or longer than the phyllodes 133. A. pravifolia

Phyliodes 4-limm x 1:°6-3:'2mm, 2-4:5 times as long as wide; peduncle usually shorter than the phyllodes 134. A. amblygona

. Phyllodes 3-6mm wide, s°m ‘mes oblong, not particularly pungent; heads in axils

of reduced phyllodes c{'.: . short lateral branches 141. A. hubbardiana Phyllodes up to 3mm \ base and tapering to pungent point at apex 4, . Flower ‘heads with bracteoles with long points projecting beyond buds; peduncles stout; phyllodes up on 3mm _ broad 142, A. saxicola Flower heads without bracteoles projecting beyond buds; peduncles slender 5.

Peduncles 1-2 mm long; pod 1-3 seeded; phyllodes to 1-1 mm wide 143. A. brachycarpa Peduncles 8-15mm long; pod with more than 3 seeds _ 6. . Phyllodes 6-11mm x 0+6-1-6mm; calyx deeply lobed with oblong or spathulate lobes, 1:2-1-7 mm long 144, A. ulicifolia

Phyllodes 4-6:5mm 2-2:5mm; calyx ca 1mm long, with broad sinuses and broad deltoid lobes . 145. A. gunnii

GROUP V . Phyliodes quadrangular in cross-section. (at least when dry), ribbed at angles and, in A, allenidna, on opposite faces, sometimes pungently pointed P Phyllodes terete or flat (sometimes thick), without ribs or with obscure longitudinal folds, not pungently pointed Phyllodes 12-20cm long, flexuose, punctulate; flowers in groups in axils; pod linear ca 4mm wide 146. A. alleniana

Phylicdes up to 12cm long but if more than 8cm then stiff; flowers single or in pairs in the axils ;

. Phyllodes 8-12cm long, stiff pungent; pods up to 4cm wide 147, A. pettce Phyllodes (1—-) 2-8cm long, pungent, not particularly stiff; pod much narrower (see also A. tetragonophylla in Group VI) . 148, A. quadrilateralis Some heads in axillary racemes, some (on same plant) on axillary peduncles 5, Heads only on axillary peduncles 6. . Heads of ca 20 flowers; corolla 1:4-1:6 mm long 149, A. gittinsti Heads of 30-35 flowers; corolla 1:8-2-4mm_ long 150. A. ruppii

. Flowers small; calyx 0-6-0-8 mm long, corolla 1-4-1:6mm. long; phyllodes 1-1-4 mm wide with 1, 2, or rarely 3 obscure raised nerves, apical mucro oblique or sometimes perpendicular to the lamina 151. A. johnsonii

Flowers larger; calyx 0-8-1 mm long, corolla 1-6-2mm long; phyllodes less than 0:8 mm wide or without nerves or with 1(-2) obscure longitudinal folds and straight mucro ;

. Phyllodes often in groups, subterete, 2:5-10 mm long 152. A. brunioides Phyllodes scattered or occasionally in groups, flat or, if subterete, then more than 15mm _ long 8,

. Phyllodes 0-5-1-S5cm * 1-1-6mm 153. A. conferta Phyliodes 1°5-3:5cm xX 0:3-0°8 mm 9, . Stipules persistent; phyllodes filiform 0-:3-0-4mm wide 154, A, islana

Stipules deciduous; phyllodes 0:6—-0-8 mm wide 155. A. burbidgeae

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GROUP VI

. Heads single on axillary peduncles; phyllodes less than 15cm long, or if longer then

less than 4mm wide

Heads in axillary racemes, sometimes condensed so that they appear to be in axillary clusters; stipules not spinose or knob-like; sometimes heads both axillary and in racemes but then phyllodes more than 15 cm long and more than 5 mm wide 25.

Phyllodes with only one longitudinal nerve prominent a

Phyllodes with one longitudinal nerve prominent with a well developed second (accessory) longitudinal nerve in the lower half

Stipules spinose; phyllodes 1-2cm long, undulate 156, A. sthadous Stipules not spinose-- 4,

Phyllodes Jess than 18mm, long, always more than twice as long as wide, or if up to 4cm long then phyllodes pungent pointed and sometimes on short lateral shoots 5.

Phyllodes more than 18 mm long, or if shorter then less than twice as long as wide 9,

Phyllodes pungent pointed; peduncles 1-2cm long. Plants of inland southern Queensland

Phyllodes not pungent; peduncles shorter (rarely to 12mm long in one species). Subcoastal southern Queensland

Phyllodes linear subulate crowded on to short lateral branches, more than 10 times as long as broad 157, A. tetragonophylla Phyllodes linear lanceolate, not crowded on to short lateral branches, 6-8 times as long as broad | 158. A. maitlandii

Branchlets with prominent yellowish ribs sometimes broken up into bead-like particles; mid-rib markedly raised, close to the upper margin, and -+ decurrent with it towards the apex; heads 4-6 flowered 159. A. flexifolia

Branchlets sometimes definitely ribbed, but ribs not breaking up into bead-like particles; midribs translucent not raised; heads of more than 12 flowers

Branchlets glabrous with resinous somewhat tuberculate ribs; phyllodes broadest at the base 5:5-1l mm * 0-8—-1:6 mm; heads 20-30 flowered 160. A, resinicostata Branchlets definitely or slightly ribbed only below the insertion of the phyllodes;

phyliocdes broadest near the top, 6-18 mm x 1~3 mm; heads 12-15 flowered 161. A. lineata

Phyllodes uneven at the base, midrib excentric, less than twice as long as wide, a prominent gland at the base, (See also A. leichhardtii which occasionally has heads on axillary peduncles) 162. A. uncinata

Phyllodes -_ symmetrical at base, more than twice as long as wide 10,

Phyllodes more than 2mm wide with an oblique mucro, sometimes on the dorsal side of it a small gland as well as. a basal gland; a few small tubercles on the margins; obscurely penninerved when broad, with subparallel nerves, or with obscure

longitudinal folds when narrow 11, Phyllodes either without apical gland though sometimes mucronate or less than 1mm wide; tubercles on margin very large or nil 13.

Phyllodes 69cm x 2-3mm, 20-40 times as long as wide; calyx 1:25mm_ long

: 163. A. hockingsii Phyllodes 2-5-5 cm long; calyx ca 0-7 mm long : _)

Phyliodes 2-5-5 mm broad, 8-14 times as long as wide 164. A. ixodes Phyllodes 1-2 mm broad, usually more than 20 times as long as wide 165. A. gnidium

Phyllodes 2-3 cm 1:5—2:5 mm, the midrib yellowish, translucent 166, A. latita

Phyllodes longer, or if only 2-3cm long then more than 2:5mm broad and the midrib not translucent 14,

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Phyllodes less than 3cm long, up to 7mm wide, or up to 5:5cm long and 2cm wide, rather coriaceous or fleshy and only indistinctly penninerved 15.

Phyllodes always more than 5cm long, 5-20mm wide and prominently penninerved, or narrower and sometimes apparently longitudinally folded. Flowers sometimes in axillary clusters 17.

Branchlets glabrous, neither hirsute nor tuberculate, phyllodes rather fleshy 3-6-5 cm x 7-18 mm; pods curved, linear up to 6cm long 3 mm wide 167. A, myrtifolia

Branchlets tuberculate or hirsute; phyllodes less than 3cm up to 7mm wide; pod short 16.

Tuberculate branchlets and phyllodes; pods up to 4-5cm X 1cm; flowers pale, almost

white 168. A. hispidula Hirsute branchlets, sparse pubescence on phyliodes; pods 17min xk 7mm; flowers mauve pink 169. A. purpureapetala

Phyllodes long and narrow (always more than 30 times as long as wide) sometimes obscurely longitudinally folded, but not distinctly reticulately penninerved 18.

Phyllodes less than 30 times as long as wide, prominently penninerved 20. Phyllodes 13-23 cm x 1:5-—3-5mm; heads on peduncles, single, in pairs, or in 3’s occasionally peduncles branched at about the middle 170. A. dietrichiana Phyllodes 7-20cm x 0:6-1mm; heads on peduncles, single or in pairs; peduncles not branched 19,

Gland 2-10mm from the base and phyllode sometimes bent at the gland; sepals spathulate, at length free; funicle not folded 171. A. juncifolia

Gland ‘basal, inconspicuous or absent; sepals united; funicle folded 172, A. calantha

Phyllodes closely conspicuously reticulately penninerved sometimes an accessory nerve in the lower half; heads in groups of 2—7 in the axils; pod linear to 7em * 2:5mm 173. A. stricta

Phylicdes penninerved and reticulate, but coarsely so, no accessory nerve; heads either single or in clusters; pod usually at least 5mm wide 21,

Heads single; phyliodes 10-15cm xX 5-8mm; pods 9cm xX 2cm, seeds transverse 174, A. crombiet

Heads in groups, racemose or single; phyllodes 5-13cm x 7-19 mm; pods up to

12-5cem * 13cm; seeds longitudinal 175. A. fasciculifera Phyllodes with prominent glandular dots 176, A, verniciflua Phyllodes without prominent glandular dots 23.

Phyliodes closely .and conspicuously penninerved; prominent gland near the base 173. A. stricta

Phyllodes not conspicuously penninerved, sometimes rather thick, becoming + wrinkled

when dry, gland at some distance from the base 24. Phyllodes glaucous, not particularly thick; seeds transverse - 210. A. deuteroneura Phyllodes thick wrinkled; pod moniliform with longitudinal seeds 184. A. bivenosa

Racemes short (axis less than 15mm long) or flowers apparently in clusters, never enclosed before development by imbricate scarious bracts 2

Racemes elongate, if less than 15mm long then enclosed before development by

imbricate bracts, occasionally heads on axillary peduncles Ze. Phyllodes less than 3mm wide, not penninerved 170. A. dietrichiana Phyllodes more than 5mm wide, penninerved 27,

Phyllodes conspicuously closely reticulately penninerved, 7-5—-10-5 cm long, 9-13 times as long as wide . | 173. A. stricta

Phyllodes penninerved but not finely reticulate — 28,

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Phyllodes coarsely penninerved and reticulate 5-13cm x 7—-19mm, 4-12 times as

long as wide 175. A. fasciculifera Phyllodes penninerved, the nerves prominently arched near the margin, 10-15cm x 5—8 mm, 9-23 times as long as wide . 174, A. crombiei

Phyllodes distinctly penninerved more than 1 cm wide, glabrous and often glaucous 30. Phyllodes Jess than lcm wide, glabrous or with some indumentum, sometimes penninerved or more than 1cm wide and pubescent at least at base 39, Phyllodes 2:5—8-5 cm wide, 1:5-4:5 times as long as wide 177. A. bancroftii Phyliodes narrower or more than 4:5 times as long as wide 31. Phyllodes less than 9cm long, gland basal or if some distance from the base then not with a nerve connecting it to the midrib 32, Phyllodes more than 9 cm long, gland basal or if some distance from the base then a prominent nerve connecting it to the midrib 34, Gland basal; phyllodes variable in shape and size often on same plant, linear to elliptic, acute, 4-5-16-5 cm long 185. A. salicina

Gland 7-30mm from base; phylodes not particularly variable in size and shape, usually broadest above the middle, -- obtuse, usually less than 10cm long 33,

Phyllodes 5-5-10cm long, 6-12(—15) mm wide, (5—)7—-14 times as long as wide; racemes 7-10 branched with axis 2-5-3 cm long 178, A. hakeotdes

Phyllodes 2:5—-5(-6) cm long, 10-20 mm wide, 2—-4:5 times as long as wide; racemes 12-24 branched with axis 3-8 cm long 192, A. everistii Phyllodes usually broadest above the middle, attenuate at the base, often more than 2:5cm wide; stipules inconspicuous 35. Phyllodes not markedly attenuate at the base, or if so then margins undulate and irregular 37. Prominent slit-like gland at the base 179. A. falcata

Gland usually prominent, at some distance (at least 5mm, usually more) from the base, often with a connecting nerve and a distinct change in curvature at the margin 36,

Axis and branches of inflorescence with moderate to usually dense appressed golden pubescence; corolla 2—2:5mm long usually pubescent 180. A. falciformis

Axis and branches of inflorescence glabrous or moderately appressed pubescent (not golden); corolla up to 2 mm jong rarely with scattered appressed hairs

181, A. penninervis

Phyllodes with + parallel sides, 10-25mm wide; stipules conspicuous, reflexed and

hard 182, A. macradenia Phyllodes usually tapering to base and apex, 3-25mm wide; stipules not becoming hard, inconspicuous 38, Pod 10mm wide, constricted only where seeds aborted; aril red 185. A. salicina Pod to 6mm wide, slightly constricted between seeds; aril yellow. Species naturalized on coastal sands of south-east 186. A. saligna

Phyliodes often with aAtuinenham of spreading hairs; not more than 4 times as long as wide; flowers not Jarge (corolla up to 2-2mm Jong)

Phyllodes not with the above dimensions, more elongate; flowers sometimes large (corolla 2-5-3 mm. long)

Phyllodes with complete covering of rather long (0-5mm or more long) spreading hairs (hairs not appressed) 41,

Phyllodes glabrous or with short (0:1mm long) spreading hairs on the margin at the base or with covering of short appressed hairs

Phyllodes 12-15 cm long; stipules indurated, up to 1cm long 187, A. holotricha

Phyllodes up to 5cm long; stipules not indurated, inconspicuous 42,

42.

43,

44,

45.

46.

47,

48.

49,

30.

S1.

52.

53.

120

Branchlets' with dense rigid hairs ca 0-5mm long; foliar gland inconspicuous 8-20 mm from the base 188. A. podalyriifolia Branchlets with spreading hairs ca 1mm long; gland on dorsal margin (often difficult

to see because of indumentum) ca 1mm from base, usually with two more distal glands 189, A. uncifera

Phyllodes 2-3:5cm long, crowded along branchlets; lower margin straight or slightly curved upper margin sharply curved with a gland at or below broadest part of phyllode 190. A. cultriformis

Phyllodes 4-6cm Jong, not crowded along branchlets -+ symmetrical with short hairs on the margin at base or rarely glabrous; gland close to base 191. A. jucunda

Phyllodes more than 20 times as long as wide, never with pustular glands, or if jess elongate ‘then hairs on margins 45,

Phyllodes less than 20 times as long as wide, or if more elongate then with pustular* glands 52.

Racemes enclosed in. bracts before development;—heads with less than 10 flowers; pods

13-17 mm wide; seeds transverse 195, A. suaveolens Racemes not enclosed in bracts; heads of more than 10 flowers seeds not transverse in rather wide pod 46, Phyllodes 15-26 cm long; heads either in pairs in axils or in racemes 196, A. entsifolia Phyllodes shorter; heads in racemes only 47. Phyllodes with some indumentum, with cither rather long hairs on margins or short and appressed ones on surface | 48. Phyllodes glabrous 49,

Hairs confined to the margin, sometimes sparse and at the base only, phyliodes 2-Sem X 2-4:5mm 197, A. fimbriata

Hairs on surface of phyllode; phyllodes 4:5-7-5om xX 2:5-4mm 198, A. pubicosta

Phyliodes 10-14cm x 1-:5—6mm, wrinkled (especially when broad); flowers large, calyx 1-1-1:3 mm long, corolla 1°8—2:1mm long 199, A. murrayana Phyllodes 5--12em & {-3(-4) mm, not wrinkled; flowers smaller—calyx to 1mm and corolla to 1-7 mm 50.

Apex of phyllodes ofien hooked, 1 or 2 glands conspicuous on dorsal margin; calyx

0-9-1 mm Jong, golden pubescent at apex 200. A, adinca Apex of phyllode not hooked; calyx 0-5—0-7 mm long, less pubescent $1. Phyllodes 1-1-5 mm broad always with a well marked gland 7-15 mm from the base;

heads of usually fewer than 10-12 flowers 201, A. perangusta ‘Phylodes 2—3mm broad, rarely narrower, with a well marked gland but this often.

absent; heads of 12-20 flowers 202. A. betchei

Gland pustulate; phyllodes more than 5cm long; small trees or shrubs often retaining juvenile foliage for considerable period; e.g. up to 2m tall a5: Gland not pustulate; phyllodes often shorter; juvenile foliage persistent only in A, attenuata (with phyllodes 10-14cm x 7-16mm which is restricted to swampy coastal areas in northern part of Moreton and southern part of Wide Bay districts)

Phyllodes glabrous, up to 2-5mm wide with 1, 2 or 3 marginal glands, the lowest

2-3 mm from base 203. A. angusta Phylodes usually more than 2:5 mm wide, usually with only one gland but if more then lowest more than 10mm from base; phyllodes glabrous or pubescent 54.

*Pustular glands have a prominent distinct thickened rim and project from the marginal nerve of the phyllode (see Fig 7c).

ede sa eaten yy ese ree pn nieettie waheracnnig “Sree Ade eng

54.

55.

56.

57.

38,

59.

60.

61,

62.

63,

64,

65.

121

Phyllodes with indumentum of short appressed hairs when young, persistent at base and apex and along each side of midrib rarely glabrous, more than 5cm_ long, 5-12 mm wide; ovary pubescent; branchlets and phyllodes not reddish |

204, *A. nertifolia

Phyllodes glabrous or with some appressed hairs at base, less than 8mm wide, or if

wider then glabrous and with distinct reddish tinge; ovary glabrous

Phyllodes 6-9cm x 8-15mm, gland (somewhat less prominent than in A. pustula) 10-20 mm from base; branchlets and phyliodes usually reddish (confined to Granite Belt) 205. A. rubida

Phyllodes less than 7mm broad or plants not reddish 56.

Phyllodes 4-7cm XX 4-7mm, rather coriaceous with 1, 2 or 3 glands, the lowest usually 10mm or more from base. Bipinnate leaves not persistent 207, A. semirigida

Phyllodes 5-5-13 cm & 2-7mm, a pustular gland 0:25-0:5 way along margin. Plant often retaining bipinnate leaves until 2-3 m tall 208. A. pustula

Phyliodes more than 7 times as long as wide or if slightly less elongate then branchlets and margins of phyllodes with long hairs and phyllodes reflexed

Phyllodes less than 7 times as long as wide 67. Phyllodes less than 3cm long, often refiexed; branchiets and margins of phyllodes

with jong hairs 209. A, letchhardtii Phyllodes more than 3 cm long, not reflexed . 38,

Phyllodes thick, wrinkled when dry, obscurely penninerved when wide; pods rather woody 60

Phyliodes not thick or wrinkled when dry; pods not woody 61.

Phyllodes extremely variable in size and shape, 4-17cm xX 3-25 mm, penninerved with undulate margins when wide; pod parallel-sided not moniliform. “Widespread,

in interior usually on alluvium 185. A. salicina Phyllodes linear 4-10cm x 4-7 mm; pod constricted between seeds. Restricted to interior, often on sandhills 184. A. bivenosa Phyllodes with indumentum of moderate to dense white appressed hairs even when old; young tips golden 62. Phyllodes glabrous when old or hairs few or confined to margin or base or rarely with spreading hairs 63.

Phyllodes densely appressed pubescent or with appressed hairs confined to midribs or base, acute, 2-5-4:5 mm wide, (12—) 15-30 times as long as wide 198. A. pubicosta

. Phyllodes moderately to densely appressed pubescent even when old, obtuse mucronulate,

5-10 mm wide, 7-10(-14) times as long as wide 211. A. polifolia

Phyllodes less than 7mm wide; juvenile leaves not persistent for long periods 64.

Phyllodes more than 7mm wide; juvenile foliage often persistent till plants more than 1m tall

Axis and branches of inflorescence moderately or densely appressed golden pubescent; phyllodes rather membranous, penninerved when wide with a gland 5mm from. the base and a second gland sometimes present 212. A. decora

Inflorescence glabrous or with spreading hairs; phyliodes rarely penninerved 65.

Phyllode with 1, 2 or 3 glands on margin; peduncles 3-5 mm long; calyx shortly lobed; pod up to 8mm wide with longitudinal seeds 207. A, semirigida

Phyllode with only one gland; peduncles in pairs 10-14mm long; calyx lobed + to base; pods 12--16mm broad with transverse seeds 183. A. victoriae

“Including a variant from basalt country from Toowoomba to about Hampton which is somewhat transitional to A. pustula.,

66.

67.

68.

69,

70.

122

Phyllodes 5-8 times as long as wide; branchlets and phyllodes with distinct reddish

tinge; pods ca 6mm wide 205. A. rubida Phyllodes 7-14 times as long as wide; branchlets and phyllodes not. particularly reddish; pods 10~-13.mm wide 206, A. attenuata

Phyllodes thick, not penninerved, wrinkled when dry, more than 6mm wide; phyllodes glaucous or green 68. PhyHodes not thick, penninerved when wide, not wrinkled; glaucous, sometimes less

than 6mm _ wide 69.

Corolla 2:5-3mm long, 4-5 times as long as the calyx 167. A. myrtifolia Corolla 2-6-2:7 mm long, up to 2:5 times as long as the calyx 184, A. bivenosa Phyllodes slightly curved, tapered equally to each end; branchlets with spreading

hairs 193, A. semilunata

Phyilodes more or less straight, often broadest above the middle; branchlets glabrous or with sparse appressed hairs 70.

Phyllodes less than 3cm long . | 194. A. buxtfolia Phyllodes more than 3 cm long 212. A. decora

‘GROUP VIL

. Leaflets large, 4-20 mm long and more than 2mm wide or if slightly less than 2mm 2.

wide then not more than 10 pairs of leaflets per pinna

Leaflets up to 7:;S5mm long and less than 1:6mm wide, or if 20mm long then petiole winged ‘De

Branchlets with indumentum of dense crisped hairs, leaflets 15-25 pairs per pinna, + acute 213. A, glaucocarpa

Branchlets glabrous or with indumentum of spreading hairs, leaflets usually not more than 18 pairs, but up to 24 pairs per pinna, obtuse 3.

. Axis of pinnae up to 3cm long; petiole Jess than 2cm long; usually less than 8 4,

pairs of leaflets per pinna (up to 10), up to 11mm long, rarely to 13 mm

Axis of pinnae 3-8cm long; petiole 1:5-5(—7-5) cm; 6—-18(—24) pairs of leaflets per pinna, 9-20 mm long 3

Pinnae 2—-3(—4) pairs on rhachis 4-15 mm thee leaflets 48mm x (1:5~)2—3 mm 214. A, polybotrya

Pinnae 3-5(—7)} pairs on rhachis 2-7(-9-5) cm long; leaflets 6-11(-13}) mm x 2°5~—5 mm 215. A. spectabilis

Gland on petiole elongate with a slit-like aperture; 6-8 leaflets per pinna, 4-7 mm wide 216. A. latisepala

Gland on petiole + depressed globular with a circular aperture; 8—18(—24) leaflets per pinna, 2:5-4mm wide 6,

. Flower heads large—calyx 1-2-1-5mm long divided to the middle into spathulate

lobes 217. A. pritinosa Flower heads smaller—calyx 0-6-0'8mm long with short obtuse lobes 218. A. debilis

. Petiole with a distinct dorsal wing; usually 1, rarely 2, pairs of pinnae; leaflets 10-20 mm

long 19. A, muellerana Petiole without wing; more than 2 pairs of pinnae; leaflets up to 7:5 mm long 8.

. Leaves only shortly petiolate, pinnae markedly unequal in size, the lowest shortest. 22

Species naturalized near Stanthorpe. 0. A. baileyana

Leaves usually with petioles more than 2cm long; all pinnae of about equal length ;

10.

11.

12,

13.

14.

15.

16.

—

123

Branchlets and usually primary axis of leaves with indumentum of long spreading hairs up to 1mm long 10.

Branchlets glabrous or pubescent, hairs appressed and less than 0-5 mm long. il Leaves uy uaa 9-16 pairs of pinnae each with 25-40 pairs of leaflets 3-4-5 mm

x 0-5-0°'8m 221. A. oshanesit Leaves not ae aa 3-5 pairs of pinnae each with 6—14 pairs of leaflets 4-6 mm

x 0:6-0-9 mm 222. A, chinchillaensis Leaflets 5-7:5mm x 0:4-0:6 mm 12. Leafiets less than 5mm long, often more than 0°6 mm wide 13.

Branchlets pubescent, not strongly ribbed; 3-4 glands on axis between pinnae, none

at base 223. A. filicifolia Branchlets glabrous, strongly ribbed; gland on petiole as well as 1-2 between pinnae. Species naturalized in cooler parts of Darling Downs District 224, A. decurrens Leaflets 40-60 pairs, up to 4mm long, 0:4-0:6mm wide . 14, Leaflets up to 40 pairs, 0-4—-1-2 mm wide 15. Pinnae 9-12 pairs, their axes 25—35mm long, leaflets 2-5-4 mm long; gland between uppermost (1-)3 pairs of pinnae only 225. A. irrorata Pinnae 12-18 pairs, their axes 35-45 mm long; leaflets 2-2-5 mm long; gland at base of each pair of pinnae and 2 between them 226. A. storyt Glands on axis of leaf absent or small and inconspicuous; axis of pinna 2-5-5 cm long 227. A. leucoclada Glands conspicuous; axis of pinna up to 3:5cm long 16. Pinnae 6-12 pairs; leaflets 2-4-3 mm long 228, A. deanei Pinnae 11--18 pairs; leaflets 1-2 mm long 229. A. loroloba GROUP VII | . Axis of leaves more than 10cm long with more than 10 pairs of pinnae 2.

Axis of leaves less than 8cm long with up to 14 pairs of pinnae; flowers always in heads 3

Flowers in spikes; pinnae 15—20 pairs 230. A. sutherlandii Flowers in heads; pinnae (?10-)45-50 pairs 231, A. ditricha Spreading shrub; leaves with (1-)2-5 pairs of pinnae, gland small and inconspicuous

about midway along petiole; involucre at summit.of peduncle, usually hidden by the flowers; pod subterete and turgid 232, A. farnesiana

Tree; leaves with 4—-15(—25) pairs of pinnae, gland sometimes conspicuous; involucre in middle or in lower half of peduncle; pods not subterete and turgid

Pods narrowly and regularly constricted between the seeds, tomentellous; leaflets not discolorocus, Naturalized species — 233. A, nilotica

Pods not constricted between seeds, glabrous; leaflets somewhat discolorous 234. A. bidwillii

GROUP IX

Only one Australian representative 235, A. albizioides

124 subg. HETEROPHYLLUM Vassal

JULIFLORAE (Benth.) Maiden & Betche

Phyllodes often broad and plurinerved, occasionally narrow and uninerved or terete and striate or punctulate; phyllodes sometimes decurrent on stem. Flowers arranged in spikes on peduncles single or in pairs in axils or racemose on a short axillary axis. Type species: Acacia julifera Benth.

1. Acacia triptera Benth., London J. Bot. 1:325 (1842). Type: Barren land north of Arbuthnot Range, Fraser (K, holo).

A spreading intricately branched shrub or small tree to 4m_ tall. Phyllodes straight or curved, diverging from the stem, pungent pointed, broadly decurrent for some distance along branchlets at the base, longitudinally striate, ‘2-5 cm long (from angle of stem), 2—3:5 mm wide. Spikes axillary, rather open, ca 1:5 cm long, rachis glabrous, peduncles 2-5-3:5 mm long. Flowers 4-, rarely 5—merous; calyx glabrous 0:6-0-7 mm long with broad obtuse lobes 0-2—0-3 mm long; corolla glabrous, lobes ++ free, acute |-7—1-8 mm long, 2-5-3 times as long as the calyx; stamens ca 2:5 mm long; ovary glabrous. Pods linear, slightly moniliform, -faintly longitudinally nerved, with slightly thickened margins, curved or coiled, 4 om long, 2:5 mm broad. Seeds longitudinal, ca 4mm long, 1-5 mm wide, |

Sourn KENNEDY District: Collinsville, Sep 1972, McMurtrie (sterile), [L8ICHHARDT DISTRICT: Top of range W of “Mt Playfair”, 90 miles [145 km] SW of Springsure, Aug 1966, Gittins T59 (sterile). MARANOA Districr: Roma, Scortechini (sterile), DARLING Downs District: Miles, Sep 1959, Everist 6142.

Acacia triptera occurs as far north as Collinsville and Springsure and inland as far as “Mt Playfair” but it is commonest in the Miles-Chinchilla area where it forms dense thickets in eucalypt woodland on shallow, hard-setting soils. It flowers in September and the single specimen with fruit that I have seen from Queensland was collected in April.

2. Acacia chisholmii F. M. Bailey, Qd Agric. J. 4:47 (1899); Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:29 (1964). Type: Prairie, Torrens Creek, Chisholm (BRI, holo).

A. costinervis Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89:267 (1926). Type in frutice apud opp. Cloncurry, Feb 1910, Domin (PR, holo).

Viscid shrub to 2-5 _m tall with reddish bark, the outer grey bark curling off in strips as in A. cyperophylla (“mineritchie”’); branchlets angular, resinous with scattered appressed hairs ca 0:4 mm long; stipules prominent brown, reflexed ca ~ 0-2 mm long. Phyllodes glabrous though with scattered appréssed hairs when young, linear with a distinct point, slightly narrowed at the base, (1:5—)2:5~—4 cm long, 0:7-1-6mm wide, (12—)20-35(—45) times as long as wide, two longitudinal nerves raised and prominent, a third less prominent one on broad phyllodes; gland small and inconspicuous 3-8 mm from the base; pulvinus short. Spikes dense, 8—20 mm long, in pairs in the upper axils, on peduncles (5—) 10-20 mm long, glabrous, sometimes slightly longer than the spike. Flowers 5—merous, calyx lobes 0-6—1 mm long, acute, free almost to the base, with a few scattered hairs; corolla (1:2~)1:4-1-6 mm long; 1:5-2 times as long as the calyx, divided to about the middle, glabrous; stamens 2—-4mm long; ovary with rather variable indumentum—scurfy to densely pubescent. Pod 6-12 cm long, 6-8 mm wide, flat, not particularly woody, glutinous, slightly raised over the seeds and slightly

a eR

125

contracted between them, transversely reticulately herved; seeds oblique, ca 4-5 mm long, 3-5-4 mm wide, 1-5 mm thick, with small, -- closed areolo with a pale area in the middle of the seed; funcile folded twice and expanded into a cupular aril.

Burke Disrrict: “Lawn Hill”, May 1940, Jensen 84; “Riversleigh”, Apr 1935, Blake 8701. Cook Districr: Georgetown Beef road, 18°17’'S 143°33’E, May 1967, Dansie 3883. GREGoRY NorrH Disrricr: Black Mountain, “Warenda”, ca 50 miles [80 km] E of Boulia, Jan 1937, Everist & Smith 126. Mircue tt Disrricr: “Corinda”, ca 85 miles [135 km] N of Aramac, Jun 1949, Everist 3858. ;

In Queensland A. chisholmii extends from about Aramac north to Georgetown and Normanton and westward into the Northern Territory. It is particularly common in the Cloncurry-Mt Isa area in eucalypt-spinifex communities on shallow gravelly soils. Flowering specimens have been collected from May to September but the peak of flowering appears to be in June and July, and fruit in September and October.

A. chisholmii can be distinguished from A. lysiphloia which it closely resembles, by the raised nerves of its phyllodes. Both species have reddish outer bark that curls off in narrow strips. The flowers of A. chisholmii like those of A, tenuissima are often heavily galled by insects.

3. Acacia orthocarpa F, Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:136 (1859); Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:34 (1964). Type: Gulf of Carpentaria, Mueller 4 (K, iso). |

A. xylocarpa A. Cunn, ex Benth., London J, Bot. 1:370 (1842) non Willd.

asie Cunningham (K, holo; BM, iso),

A. pityoides F. Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:135 (1959); Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:34 (1964). Type: Sturts Creek, Mueller 5 (MEL; K, iso; lecotypus novus).

Type: Dampiers Arch., Feb

Shrub to 2m tall; branchlets =: terete, resinous, punctulate. Phyllodes +: terete with a lateral groove or somewhat laterally compressed with a groove on each side, merging into the pulvinus, glutinous, punctulate (except on older phyllodes of one specimen), 5-10 cm long, 0-6-0-8 mm wide, 50-200 times as long as wide, not longitudinally striate. Spike 1-2(-—2-5) cm long on peduncles 1-5—9 mm long in pairs in the upper axils, small vegetative bud between the spikes sometimes elongating into leafy shoots. Flowers 5—merous; calyx membranous with widely spreading +: free, somewhat irregular, lobes 0:7-0:9 mm. long; corolla lobes 1-1-4 mm long, (1-2—)1-6—-1-9 times as long as the calyx, glabrous, united to the middle; stamens 2—2-5 mm long; ovary glabrous, somewhat mealy. Pod thick, rather woody, tapered to the base, opening elastically from the top, up to 7-5 cm long, 3-5 mm wide, the lower 1:5—2 cm without seeds, resinous with longitudinal nerves. Seeds longitudinal or somewhat oblique ca 4mm _ long, 1-5—2-7 mm wide, rather thick; areole large, open; funicle thick, only slightly folded, expanded into cupular aril. |

BurKE District: 20 miles [32 km] N of Mt Isa, Nov 1962, Pedley 1138. Coox Districr: Newcastle Range, Feb 1928, Brass 1759, SouTH KENNEDY Districr: 11 miles [18 km] NNW of “Epping Forest”, Jul 1964, Adams 1209,

Acacia orthocarpa has a limited and discontinuous range in Queensland. Specimens have been collected from north-west of Clermont, near Forsayth and Mt Isa, and north of Camooweal, all on shallow. gravelly soils. Flowers have been collected in March and November.

126

If one were to take a broad view of species and consider A. arida Benth. (with which I would include A. subrotata Domin) as a single variable species then A. orthocarpa might be considered merely as a variant of that species. Though the flowers and pods of the two are similar, the phyllodes of A. arida are flat, up to 4mm wide with a distinct midrib and two obscure longitudinal folds while those of A. orthocarpa are more or less terete and less than 1 mm wide.

Specimens from north-western Queensland previously identified by me as A. arida, should be referred to A. hilliana (q. v.)

4, Acacia curranii Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W. 49:492 (1916); Pedley, Proc, Roy. Soc. Qd 74:53 (1964); Tindale, Telopea 1:79 (1975). Type: Cobar, in 1887, Curran (MEL, holo; not seen).

Shrub to ca 3 m tall; inner bark reddish, the outer bark grey, curling off in © narrow strips as in A. chisholmii and A. cyperophylla (“mineritchie bark’): branchlets somewhat angular, glabrous to silky pubescent. Phyllodes flattened, linear, rather flexuose, thick, depressed along the midline, glabrous or with appressed silky hairs, the indumentum sometimes restricted to the base and apex, 13~18 cm long, 1-1-1:5 mm wide, 90-150 times as long as wide; ca 5 longi- tudinal nerves conspicuous or all nerves inconspicuous; gland basal, not prominent; pulvinus short. Spikes 5—7mm long on peduncles ca 1-5 mm long with an ovate obtuse silky-pubescent deciduous bract, the peduncle and rachis densely pubescent; bracteoles concave, longer than the mature buds. Flowers 5—merous; calyx 1-1-3 mm long with densely pubescent lobes ca 0-6 mm long, the sinuses broad and obtuse; corolla 1-5-1-8mm long, 1-:4-1-8 times as long as the calyx, with pubescent lobes; stamens 3-4 mm long; ovary densely pubescent. Pod flat with rather coarse long hairs, ca 6 cm long, 3mm wide. Seeds longi- tudinal, ca 3:5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide; areole small, open, with a pale area between it and the hilum; funicle small, forming a basal aril.

Dariing Downs Disrrict: 3 miles [5 km] W of Gurulmundi, Sep 1963, Pedley 877.

No collections of A. curranii have been made between Cobar, the type locality, and near Gurulmundi, north of Miles, where it forms groves on poorly drained soil overlying sandstone. It flowers in August and September.

Maiden pointed out the confusion with A. cyperophylla. The mixture of A. curranii and A. cyperophylla in specimens cited within the protologue of the latter is discussed under A. cyperophylla. The two species do look alike, but even sterile specimens can be distinguished with certainty.

5. Acacia cyperophylla F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:400 (1864). Type: Stony ground, Cooper’s Creek, A. C. Gregory (MEL; lectotypus novus).

Spreading tree to 10 m tall; outer bark grey, thin, peeling off in curly narrow strips to reveal inner reddish bark; branchlets angular, slightly resinous, glabrous or with sparse minute appressed hairs. Phyllodes terete, usually tapered into a sharp point, 5-13cm long, 1-1-5 mm thick, 35-90 times as long as thick, longitudinally nerved (ca 25 per phyllode), glabrous or with very short appressed hairs associated with nerves; gland basal, small. Spikes interrupted, ca 2 cm long on peduncles 1-3 cm long, single or in pairs in the upper axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx densely pubescent ca 1-5 mm long with obtuse lobes ca 0:2 mm long; corolla lobes glabrous, 2-2:3mm long, united to the middle, 1:3-1-6 times as long as the calyx; ovary glabrous. Pod flat, glabrous, obscurely longi-

127

tudinally nerved, without.a marginal nerve, glabrous, ca 8-5 cm long; 7 mm wide.

_ Seeds flat, ca 6:5 mm Jong and 4mm wide with a small central areole; funicle

slightly thickened but not folded.

GREGORY NortH District: “Currawilla”, ca 100 miles [160 km] W of Windorah, Feb 1949, Everist 4009. GreGorY SoutTH District: “Marama” about S of Windorah, Jul 1936, Blake 12023.

Acacia cyperophylla (mineritchie) is restricted to arid parts of Queensland, the southern half of Gregory North District and adjacent parts of the Gregory South District, usually along creeks in grassland and among stones on the edges of scarps. It flowers spasmodically throughout the year, probably in response to high soil moisture.

Typification of A. cyperophylla has presented difficulties because the proto- logue description applies to a mixture of A. currqnii and A. cyperophylla and there seems to have been some error in the labelling of specimens. One would expect the collections cited in the protologue to be in herb. Kew. A specimen collected by Leichhardt is at Kew, but I could not locate Gregory’s specimen, Unfortunately the Leichhardt specimen is A. curranii. It was probably collected north of Miles in November 1844, At BM there is a specimen (ex National Herbarium of Victoria) labelled “Acacia cyperophylla F. v. M./Stony Ground Cooper’s Creek/Sth Australia/A. C. Gregory”. This is also A. curranii. It is most unlikely that A. curranii occurs near Cooper Creek, and it is presumed that the specimen is wrongly labelled. At MEL, however, a specimen bearing a similar label is certainly A. cyperophylla (as described here) and it is chosen as the. lectotype.

6. Acacia tennuissima F. Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:135 (1859); Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:33 (1964). Type: Sturts Creek, Mueller 72 (MEL, holo; K, iso). ' .

A, xylocarpa A, Cunn. ex Benth. var (7) seninisiina Benth., FI. Aust. 2:401 (1864). Based on A. tenuissima F. Muell.

A, luerssenii Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89:267 (1926). Type: in collibus arenosis Dividing Range dictis apud opp. Jericho, Mar 1910, Domin (PR, holo).

Shrub to ca 4m with smooth grey or brown stems; branchlets + terete, glabrous with resinous ribs. Phyllodes thick but flat, linear, glabrous, 6:5—15 cm long, 0:7-1-1(-1:3) mm wide, 60-220 times as long as wide, striate with ca 8 nerves on each face, the nerves usually inconspicuous, but occasionally with raised ribs and resinous margins; gland basal, small; pulvinus very small. Spikes ca 1 cm long, rachis glabrous, on glutinous peduncles 5-10 mm long in pairs in the upper axils, the rudimentary shoot between them occasionally growing out into a leafy shoot and then the spikes lateral. Flowers 5—merous; calyx 0:-8(—1) mm long, membranous, glabrous, - truncate, slightly incurved at the top and splitting irregularly into lobes; corolla 1-2-1:4mm long, 1:5-1°8 times as long as the calyx, glabrous, lobed to the middle; stamens ca 1:5 mm long; ovary mealy. Pod irregularly coiled, flat, somewhat constricted between the seeds and convex over them, ca 5cm long, 3mm wide. Seeds longitudinal, 2:5—3-:5 mm long, 1:5-1-8 mm wide; areole small, open; funicle folded to form basal aril.

BuRKE District: 27° miles [59km] EE of Camooweal, May 1948, Perry 758; near Hughenden, top of Mt Walker, May 1936, Blake 11636. GREGORY Nortsx District: “Barkly Downs”, 20°43’S 138°26’E, May 1947, Blake 17953, MircHELL Disrricr: Delta near

Barcaldine, Feb 1936, Everist 1493. Souts KENNEDY District: 7 Miles fli km] NE of “Mirtna”’, Jul 1964, Adams 1139 (BRI, CANB),

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Acacia tenuissima is a common shrub in eucalypt woodland on sandy soils from the Jericho—Barcaldine area northward to the Torrens Creek—Hughenden area. It is also found about Mt Isa and extends to the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The main period of flowering appears to be from March to June, and pods mature from August to October.

Flowering specimens are difficult to distinguish from A. orthocarpa, but the pods of the two are quite different.

7. *Acacia jackesiana Pedley. Type: North Kennedy District: near Argentine Mine, 60 km WSW of Townsville, Oct 1976, EF. M. & B, R. Jackes (BRI, holo; BRI, A, CANB, K, L, MEL, MO, NSW, PR, iso).

Shrub procumbent, up to ca 1m tall; branchlets glabrous, angular, reddish brown; stipules persistent linear, 1 mm long. Phyllodes glabrous linear, 12—22 cm long, from less than 1 mm to 1-6 mm wide, prominently ribbed, distinct marginal nerves and two raised ribs on each face with a faint nerve in rather a deep groove between them; gland small, basal; pulvinus less than 1mm long. Spikes rather open, 2—2-5 cm long, the rachis glabrous, on glabrous peduncles 1-1-7 cm long in pairs in the upper axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx glabrous ca 0-7 mm long, sinuately lobed; corolla rather stout, ca 2:2mm long; stamens ca 3mm long; ovary glabrous. Pod flat, ca 8cm long, 8mm wide; old valves only seen, similar to those of A. whitei with conspicuous marginal nerves.

Because of the length of the phyllodes, peduncles and spikes Acacia jackesiana resembles A. cyperophylla but the strongly raised ribs of the phyllode distinguishes it from A. cyperophylla and all other Queensland species. The fragments of old weathered pods that I have seen suggest that the species may have some affinity with A. whitei, but the rationship is not close. A. jackesiana is known only from the type locality.

8. Acacia guymeri Tindale, Telopea 1(5) (in. press). Type: Cook District: 36 km ~ WNW of Mt Carbine, Laura road, Jan 1977, Guymer 898 (NSW, holo).

Single or multistemmed glabrous shrub 1-5—2-5 m tall; bark smooth, silvery grey; branchlets slender, angular, soon becoming terete, somewhat resinous at the tips. Phyllodes linear, 10-15 cm Jong, 1:3—1-:7 mm wide, 70-90 timés as long as wide, thickened margins, one prominent longitudinal nerve (uninerved) and 1(—2) obscure longitudinal nerves of folds on each side of it; gland basal, inconspicuous; pulvinus 1-1-5 mm long. Spikes only 10-20 flowered, sparse when mature, to 1-5 cm long on peduncles 1-1-5 cm long subtended by basal bract

*Acacia jackesiana species nova, a speciebus ceteris Queenslandicis bene distincta, fortasse A, whitei Maiden affinis. Typus: FE. M. & B. R. Jackes (BRI, holotypus; A, BRI, CANB, K, L, MEL, MO, NSW, PR, isotypi). |

Frutex procumbens usque circa 1m altus; ramuli glabri angulares; stipulae persistentes lineares 1mm longae. Phyllodia glabra linearia, 12-22cm longa, 1-1*6mm (vel minus) lata; prominenter costata, nervis marginalibus conspicuis et utringue costis duobus elevatis et nervo inconspicus in sulco aliquantum profundo imter eos praedita; glans parva basalis; pulvinus minus quam 1mm longus. Spicade + sparsifforae, 2~2'5cm longae rhacidi glabra in pedunculis glabris binatim in axillis superis portatae. Flores 5~meri; calyx glaber circa 0:6mm longus sinuate lobatus; corolla aliquantum crassa circa 2:2mm ‘longa; stamina circa 3mm longa; ovarium glabrum. Legumen planum circa 8cm longum 8 mm latum; valvae veteres siccae nonnisi visae, earum Acaciae iwhitei similis, nervis marginaltbus conspicuis ornatae.

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ca 1mm long. Flowers glabrous, pale yellow, 5—merous; calyx shortly lobed 0:6mm long; corolla 2mm long; stamens ca 3mm long; ovary glabrous. Pod (immature) shortly stipitate, straight, long pointed, 6-7 cm. long ca 5mm wide, margins yellowish strongly thickened. Seeds probably longitudinal.

The only collection of A. guymeri I have seen is an excellent one from the type locality which includes flowers and immature fruits. The collector’s notes and photographs indicate that it occurs in a disturbed community on a skeletal soil on a rocky hill.

The affinities if the species are not clear. It resembles A. jackesiana, especially in the size and shape of the phyllodes and the structure of the flowers, but differs in the venation of the phyllode and the extremely open spike.

9, Acacia tanumbirinensis Maiden in Ewart & Davies, Flora Nth Terr. 338 (1917) (“tanumbirinense”’). Type: Northern Territory: near “Tanumbirini” Stn, Mar 1911, Hill 802 CNSW, holo; K, MEL, iso).

Tree to 6m tall with hard stringy bark; branchlets slender angular, some- what glutinous; stipules triangular, brown ca 0:5 mm long. Phyllodes slightly falcate, linear, glabrous, 7-18 cm long, 1-5-4 mm wide, (25—)30-80 times as long as wide, one nerve prominent, the rest crowded, not anastomosing; gland small basal; pulvinus ca 1mm long. Spikes becoming rather open, 3-4 cm long, | on: peduncles 3-5 mm long, the rachis pubescent. Flowers 5—merous; calyx membranous 0:5-0:8 mm long divided almost to the base into narrow-oblong pubescent lobes; corolla 1-1:2mm long, 1-5-2 times as long as the calyx, glabrous, the lobes broad and strongly recurved; stamens 2+2—2-5 mm _ long, ovary pubescent. Pod not known, probably similar to that of A. plectocarpa.

Burke District: 16 Mile Creek, 22 km from “Westmoreland” Stn on-road to “Corinda” sin, 17°30’S, 138°24’E, May 1976, Simon & Farrell 3109.

A, tanumbirinensis is restricted to an area extending from the Roper to the Nicholson River in the western part of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It occurs on sandy soils along creeks and flowers in April and May.

The species may prove only subspecifically distinct from A. plectocarpa which has flowers similar in size and indumentum, but broader (more than 5 mm) phyllodes. The geographical ranges of the two do not overlap. The question of the status of A. tanumbirinensis may be resolved when mature pods and seeds -are available. A. plectocarpa has resinous undulate pods up to 9cm long and 8-10 mm wide with transverse seeds with small depressed closed areoles and a conspicuous white aril.

10. Acacia aneura F, Muell. ex Benth., Linnaea 26:627 (1855). Type: Cudnaka, Oct 1851, Mueller (MEL, holo; BRI, photo).

Tree to ca 15m; branchlets angular with appressed curved silvery hairs, some brown scales on young shoots, occasionally resinous. Phyllodes coriaceous, extremely variable in size and shape, varying from narrow-elliptic to linear, flat to terete when very narrow with silvery scurf and + adpressed hyaline hairs ca 0:1 mm long, the surface sometimes hidden, 2-17 (—24) cm long, 0:9-8(—-12) mm wide, 3—90(-180) times as long as wide; many parallel non-anastomosing - longitudinal nerves (up to 30 on broad phyllodes), half of them prominent, margins yellowish; gland small basal; pulvinus ca 1mm long. Spikes dense, (1—) 1-5-2 cm long on scurly peduncles 3-8 mm long, rachis puberulent, single or rarely in pairs in the upper axils or more rarely apparently lateral on short

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axillary shoots. Flowers S—merous; calyx lobes + free, spathulate, sometimes broad, (0-6~)0:7-1-1 mm long, usually with a few hairs at the top; corolla lobes free or united to the middle, glabrous, 1-2—1-8 mm long, (1:3-)1-8-2-2 times as long as the calyx; stamens 2:5-3:5mm long; ovary usually with indumentum of close dense silvery hairs, sometimes sparse, rarely glabrate. Pods flat, glabrescent, obliquely reticulately nerved, 2-5-5 cm long, 7-13 mm wide, usually with a prominent wing 1-1-5 mm wide along the upper margin. Seeds longitudinal or slightly oblique, flat, ca 5mm long and 3mm wide, areole extremely small, open, with a pale area extending to the hilar end of the seed; funicle filiform.

BurkE District: 6 miles [10km] SE of “Barkly Downs”, May 1948, Perry 743. GrReGoRY NortrH Districr: near Boulia, Jul 1936, Blake 12376, MITCHELL DISTRICT: ca 16 miles [26km] NW of Longreach, Jul 1963, Everist 7295, 7296 & 7298. GREGORY SouTH Districr; 43 miles [69km] W of Windorah, Jul 1936, Blake 12109, WarREGO Districr: Charleville, Apr 1936, Blake 11051. MaraNnoa Disrrict: 12 miles [19 km] N of St George, Sep 1959, Everist 6112. Dartinc Downs Districr: “Woodlands”, SW of Westmar, May 1959, Pedley 388.

Acacia aneura (mulga) is of considerable economic importance and there is a large body of literature on mulga and mulga lands. See, for example, papers in Tropical Grasslands vol. 7 (1973) and many of the papers cited there. It extends from Shark Bay, Western Australia to a little east of St George. In Queensland it forms dense, almost pure stands, often of considerable extent, on sandy or loamy soils, particularly in the St George-Quilpie area, with isolated stands almost as far north as Mt Isa. Flowering occurs throughout the year, possibly in response to high soil moisture, but pods appear to mature only in the period September-December. |

There is an extremely wide range of variation in habit, the size and shape of the phyllodes, and the degree of winging of the pod. Because of the complexity of this variation the recognition of infraspecific taxa, such as A. aneura var. latifolia, is not at present warranted. A. aneura is similar to A. brachystachya and A. catenulata, both of which have pods of different types, and to A. clivicola which has different pods and less deeply lobed calyxes.

Cudnaka, the type locality of A. aneura is probably near Lake Torrens, South Australia, possibly Kanyaka near Hawker.

11. Acacia ramulosa W. V. Fitzg., J. West. Aust. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1:15 (1904). Type: Western Australia: Lennonville, Sep 1903, Fitzgerald (PERTH, holo). .

Shrub to 3 m tall; branchlets angular, ribbed, glutinous with matted appressed silky hairs. Phyllodes linear, straight or slightly curved, appressed silky pubes- cent, mainly in the grooves between the numerous parallel longitudinal nerves (cf. A. cyperophylla), 11-12:5 cm long, 1-5-2 mm wide, 60-80 times as long as wide. Spikes dense 1-5—2cm long on peduncles 7-10 mm long, single in the axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx 0-8-1 mm long, membranous, deeply divided into obtuse oblong lobes with some hairs at the top and on the margins, always united into a tube, as little as 0:2 mm long, so that the calyx can be dissected off in one piece; corolla ca 1:5 mm long, lobed to the middle; ovary pubescent all over or at the top only. Pods cylindrical, 7-9 cm long, 5-8mm _ wide, greyish with yellowish glutinous longitudinal nerves without prominent margins. Seeds longitudinal, 7-5 mm long, 4:5mm wide; areole open, extremely small.

Grecory Norru District: Bedourie, Jul 1936, Blake 12325, Grecory Soutu District: ca 90 miles [145 km] WNW of Birdsville, Sep 1966, Boyland 292. Warreco DISTRICT: ‘“Dynevor Downs”, Mar 1941, White 12088.

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I have seen little material from Queensland that I can refer with certainty to A. ramulosa, It is closely related to A. brachystachya which always (?) has flat, though thick, phyllodes and flat pods, whereas the phyllodes of A. ramulosa are often terete and the pods are always terete.

12. Acacia brachystachya Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:403 (1864); Maiden, For. Fl. N.S.W, 7:9 (1917); Pedley, Trop. Grassl. 7:5 (1973). Type: Mutanie Ranges Mootwingle, [31°10’S 142°10’E, ca 110km NE of Broken Hill], Jan. 1861, Victorian Expedition. (K, holo; MEL, iso).

A, aneura F, Muell. ex Benth. var. (?) stenocarpa Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:403 © (1864). Type: Yaginya Mtn [Scrope Ra., approximately 32°S 142°R, ca 65 km E of Broken Hill], Nov 1860, Victorian Expedition (K, holo).

A, cibaria F. Muell., Melb, Chemist & Druggist 5:26 (July 1882). Type: Yayinya Mountains, Nov 1860, Beckler (MEL, lectotypus novus).

Tree to 5m with ascending lateral branches; branchlets angular, ribbed, with brown and silvery appressed hairs ca 0-15 mm long. Phyllodes coriaceous, curved linear, silvery with short appressed hairs, 8—-10(-13) cm _ long, (1:5—)2—-3 mm wide, (25—)30-50(-75) times as long as wide, with up

-to 16 parallel longitudinal non-anastomosing nerves; gland basal, rather prominent.

Spikes rather dense, ca 1-5 cm long on axillary peduncles ca 5 mm long. Flowers 5—merous; calyx lobes shortly united at the base, broad spathulate, concave, 0-5-—0:7 mm long; corolla lobes united to the middle, ca 1-5 mm long, 2-3-3 times as long as the calyx; stamens ca 2 mm long; ovary pubescent. Pod neither > flat nor winged nor the margin prominent, 3-6 cm long, 3—5 mm wide, 2—2:5 mm thick, longitudinally reticulately nerved with silvery indumentum between the nerves. Seeds longitudinal, 5-7 mm long and 3—4 mm wide; areole small open, - with a pale sunken area surrounding it, its funicle expanded into small clavate aril.

WARREGO DistricT: Quilpie, Nov 1957, Everist 5905; “Bowalli”, ca 75 miles [120 km]

SSW of Quilpie, May 1952, Everist 5035; “Mooning”, ca 30km S of Eulo, Nov 1954, Smith 6010.

Acacia brachystachya (turpentine mulga) occurs in south-western Queens- land between the Warrego River and the Grey Range. It usually forms small stands on shallow gravelly soils on low rises within mulga communities. It flowers from June to about August and mature fruits have been collected from October to December.

It is a rounded shrub with stiff, more or less erect phyllodes. Unless they bear fruit, herbarium specimens are frequently confused with both A. aneura - and A. ramulosa. The three species are not often confused in the field however. |

I have discussed the typification of A. cibaria previously, but as it could affect the use of the name A. ramulosa, it should be considered in more detail. All three syntypes of A. cibaria at MEL were evidently used by Mueller in his . description of the species. They are:

1, Gasgoyne River, Oliver Jones, The specimen consists of pod and seeds in an envelope with the note: “A great food of the natives at the Gasgoyne called the Wonuy”.

2. Murchison River, Gray. The specimen is mounted on a sheet and is accom-

panied by the note: “15 to 20’ flowers Oct. and Nov. Sandy soil. Sceds eaten by natives”.

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3. Yayinga Mountains, 6 November 1860, Beckler.

The first specimen is neither A. ramulosa nor A. brachystachya. The vernacular name in the note suggests that it is A. wanyu. I am not familiar with that species, however, and the identity of the specimen requires further investigation. The second specimen is A. ramulosa. The third is A. brachystachya. Maiden implied that nomenclatural problems would be solved by selecting the last as lectotype and I have therefore made this choice. It is noteworthy that the holotype of A. aneura var. (?) stenocarpa and the lectotype of A. cibaria were both collected by Beckler at the same place on 6 November 1860. It is likely they are parts of a single collection.

13. Acacia granitica Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W. 54:230 (1921). Based

_ on Acacia doratoxylon A, Cunn. var. ovata Maiden & Betche, Proc. Linn.

Soc. N.S.W. 30:362 (1905). Syntypes: Howell, near Tingha, in 1904, Maiden & Boorman (NSW); Stanthorpe, Jul 1904, Boorman (BRI, K, iso).

Flat-topped spreading shrub to ca 1m tall and up to 3m in diameter or rounded to 3m tall, branchlets slender angular, glabrous and somewhat resinous. Phyllodes + erect, coriaceous, linear, (8—) 10-22 cm long, 1:5—3-5 mm wide, (20—)35-140 times.as long as wide, with 12-18 fine parallel non- anastomosing nerves, the middle one slightly more prominent than the rest; gland small or absent, + basal, pulvinus 1-1-5 mm long. Spikes dense, 3-8 mm long on glabrous peduncles 0-5-3 mm long in pairs on a rudimentary axillary ‘axis, the rachis pubescent. Flowers 5—merous; calyx truncate to shortly lobed with a few brown hairs at the top and long white hairs at the base, 0:5-0°8 mm long; corolla lobes 1-4—-1'8mm long, united to the middle, 2-2-3 times as long as the calyx; stamens ca 3mm long; ovary hirsute. Pod linear; glabrous, flat slightly convex over seeds and sometimes slightly contracted between them, to 6cm long, 2:5~3 mm wide. Seeds longitudinal, ca 3 x 1-5 mm; areole elongate, open; funicle thickened, folded 2—3 times beneath seed.

DaRLING Downs Disrrict: Fletcher, 8 miles [13 km] SW of Stanthorpe, Oct 1963, Pedley 1462. MorETON Districr: Crows Nest, Oct 1921, White.

Acacia granitica is restricted to shallow sandy soils derived from granite in the vicinity of Crows Nest and Stanthorpe and from sandstone near Plunkett. It flowers in August and September. The distribution of A. granitica is similar to that of A. ruppii. The major occurrences of both are in elevated granite country with minor occurrences on sandstone near the coast. In Queensland A, ruppii is confined to granite near Stanthorpe whereas A. granitica extends north to Crows Nest and to coastal sandstone at Plunkett.

As Maiden suggested, its nearest relative is probably A. caroleae (A. doratoxylon var. angustifolia), though it bears a superficial resemblance to A. brachystachya.

14, Acacia caroleae Pedley, nom, et stat. nov. Based on Acacia doratoxylon A. Cunn. var. angustifolia Maiden, J. & Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W. 53:217 (1920). Type: Eidsvold, Aug 1918, Bancroft (NSW, holo; K,. iso).

Rounded shrub or slender tree to ca 6 m tall; branchlets angular, glabrous, glutinous, sometimes mealy, Phyllodes' linear, straight, glabrous, 5—14(-—21) cm long, (1:5—)2-5(-6:5) mm wide, (10—)15-60(-90) times as long as wide,

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striate with rather crowded parallel longitudinal non-anastomosing nerves, the central one prominent; gland small, basal; pulvinus ca 3:5 mm long. Spikes dense (interrupted on one specimen), 1-3 cm long on peduncles 1:5-4 mm long on a scurfy, rarely pubescent, axillary axis 5-20 mm long, sometimes growing out into a lateral shoot. Flowers 5—merous; calyx membranous (0:6—)0:7- 1:1 mm long, the tube usually glabrous, lobes 0:2-0:3mm long with short, blunt, brown hairs at the top; corolla lobes glabrous, united to the middle, 1:2-1-5(-1-8) mm long, 1:3-2(—2:°5) times as long as the calyx; stamens 2-3 mm long; ovary slightly scurfy, rarely with some short stiff hairs at the top. Pod flat, convex over the seeds and somewhat contracted between them, ca 8cm long, 2—2-5mm wide, longitudinally wrinkled. Seeds longitudinal, 4mm long, 1:7 mm wide; areole open, elongate, more than # as long as the seed; funicle folded ca 4 times, forming basal aril. (Fig. 9i, inflorescence).

LEICHHARDT Disrricr: 5km + E of “Mantuan Downs”, 24°25’S 147°20’E, Aug 1973,

Pedley 4114; “Bedourie”, 45 miles [72 km] SW of Rolleston, Sep 1962, Story & Yapp 280. Maranoa Disrricr: Clayhole Creek, 20 miles [32km] S$ of Yuleba, Nov 1958, Johnson 650. DarLinc Downs Disrricr: Gurulmundi, Sep 1961, Pedley 880; 10 miles [16km] $ of Kogan on Tara Road, Aug 1958, Johnson 551;.5 miles [8 km] W of Thane, Oct 1959, Pedley 491,

. Acacia caroleae is an attractive shrub or small tree widely distributed in inland south-eastern Queensland on sandy soil. It flowers from about mid- August to mid-October.

Acacia caroleae is more closely related to A. burrowii than it is to A. doratoxylon, which does not occur in Queensland. It has somewhat narrower phyllodes, more than 15 times as long as wide, usually longer calyxes and shorter corollas. It also lacks the broad juvenile phyllodes characteristic of A. burrowit.

15. Acacia adsurgens Maiden & Blakely, Proc. Roy. Soc. West. Aust. 13:28 (1928), Syntype: 40 miles W of Camp 4, Lander Creek, June 1911, Hill 360 (K, iso).

Erect shrub to 2:5 m; bark brown flaky; branchlets pale, angular, resinous. Phyllodes coriaceous, linear, glabrous, 6—-17cm long, 2—3mm wide, 30-60 times as long as wide, with many parallel longitudinal nerves, the middle one slightly more prominent; gland basal with a large swelling but a pale orifice. Spikes dense, 1-1-5 cm long on peduncles 7~10mm long single at the base of a rudimentary axillary shoot which sometimes grows out. Flowers 5—merous; calyx narrowly cylindric, ca 1 mm long, truncate or slightly incurved at the top with only a few hairs; corolla 1-5~1:7 mm long, divided to the middle; stamens ca 3:5mm long; ovary slightly mealy. Pods linear, ca 9cm long, 2:5—3 mm wide, raised over the seeds and slightly contracted between them. Seeds linear, ca 4mm long, 1-5-2 mm wide; areole small, semicircular, central, pale (cf. A. shirleyi); funicle thickened with about five folds forming basal aril extending a quarter up each side of seed. -

GREGORY NorrH District: Brenda Bore, “Oban” Stn, ca 62 miles [100 km] SW of Mt Isa, Dec 1947, Everist 3372. Grecory SoutH District: Windorah, Ju!-Aug 1969, Cockburn BPS 20. MircHett DisrrictT: Jericho, May 1946, Clemens. -

Acacia adsurgens is widespread in the Northern Territory, but in. Queens- land it is scattered and uncommon, occurring only south-west of Mt Isa, near Windorah, and in the vicinity of Jericho, always on sandy soil.

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16. Acacia lysiphloia F. Muell., J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:137 (1859). Syntypes: Sturts Creek, Mueller 84 (K, MEL, iso), & Mueller 80 (MEL); Gulf . of Carpentaria, Mueller 3 (MEL).

Shrub to ca 5m tall with reddish bark, the outer grey bark coming off in narrow curly strips as in A. cyperophylla (mineritichie); branchlets angular, glutinous with scattered appressed hairs largely hidden in resin; stipules persistent, brown, 1-2-2 mm long, somewhat reflexed. Phyllodes narrow, but broadest in the uppermost. quarter, obtuse, mucronulate, glabrous or subglabrous, 2—3 cm long, 1-5~4(—6) mm wide, 4-10(—15) times as long as wide; two longitudinal nerves prominent, other longitudinal nerves obscure, occasionally translucent; gland not conspicuous, with a thin rim and a small orifice ca 3mm from the base; pulvinus short. Spikes dense, 5-20 mm long, rachis glabrous, on glutinous, sometimes somewhat pubescent peduncles 1-2 cm long, sometimes forming a terminal raceme because of reduction of phyllodes; bracteoles exceeding the buds. Flowers 5—merous; calyx cylindrical, 0-5—0:8mm long, membranous, divided to the middle or almost to the base, the lobes acute, pubescent or at least with some scattered hyaline hairs; corolla 1:2—1:8(—2-3) mm long, 2—3 times as long as the calyx, lobed to the middle, glabrous; stamens 4-5 mm long; ovary scurfy, sometimes with scattered long hairs. Pod flat, curved, slightly convex over the seeds, up to 7-5 cm long, 7~8 mm wide, obliquely nerved, glutinous, neither particularly woody nor opening by coiling back from the top. Seeds oblique, 4-4:5 mm long, 3mm wide, ca 1-5 mm thick; areole small, closed, pale; funicle forming a cupular aril.

Burke Districr: Settlement Creek, Jun 1923, Brass 347; 27 miles [43 km] SSW of Mt Isa, May 1948, Perry 786.

In Queensland A. lysiphloia is found in the western part of the Burke District, on sandy soils. It flowers from May to about August.

Variants with broad phyllodes and short spikes sometimes occur. They bear a striking resemblance to A. monticola. Both species have a “mineritichie” bark and they may be more closely allied to each other than their placement in different sections suggests.

17, Acacia hilliana Maiden in Ewart & Davies, Fl. Nth Terr. 340 t.27 (1917). Type: 140 miles N of C74, Northern Territory, Jul 1911, ili (BM, K iso).

Misapplied name: 4. arida auct. non Benth.; Pedley, Proc.. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:34 (1964).

Flat-topped viscid shrub to 3 m tall; branchlets + terete, glabrous, glutinous. Phyllodes coriaceous, glabrous, linear, sometimes tapering gradually to the base, obtuse mucronulate, straight or curved, 2—5 cm long, 2~3-5mm wide, 6-20 times as long as wide, 3-5 longitudinal nerves sometimes visible, often obscure in tissue of phyllode; gland extremely small, merely a small orifice on the margin, 5-10 mm from the base; pulvinus ca 1mm long. Flowers in dense spikes 1-2:5cm long on glutinous, glabrous peduncles 1-2 cm long, single in the axils, 5—merous; calyx 0:9-1-2mm long, divided almost to the base, the lobes membranous, widely spreading, narrowly oblong, obtuse, glabrous, the sinuses obtuse; corolla (1:2—)1-:4—-2 mm long, (1-2—)1-+5-1-8 times as long as the calyx, divided to the middle, glabrous; stamens ca 4mm long; ovary glabrous, sometimes slightly scurfy. Pod flat but thick, with prominent margins, obliquely nerved, rather glutinous, opening elastically from the top, 2-5-5 cm

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long, 4-6 mm wide; seeds oblique in depressions in the woody valves, 3:5—4 mm long, 1: 7—2 mm wide, rather thick with a large open pale areole; funicle straight, not folded, expanded into a cupular aril.

Burke Districr: 90 miles [145 km] from Camooweal on Burketown Road, 19°05'S 138°SWE, Jun 1966, Pediey 2053: 40 miles [64km] NNW of Mt Isa, May 1948, Perry 765 (BRI, K),

Acacia hilliana has a range similar to that of A. spondylophylla extending from Hamersley Range through central Australia to Queensland. It is a common plant on gravelly soils in the Mt Isa-Camooweal area. It evidently has an extended period of flowering and fruiting. Flowers have been collected from May to September and mature pods in May, June and September.

Specimens from Queensland have broader phyllodes than specimens from the Northern Territory (including the type) have. Previously I identified the Queensland material as A. arida. |

18. Acacia conjunctifolia F. Muell., Fragm. 11:68 (1879). Type:. Victoria River, Gulliver (MEL, holo).

Shrub ca 1 m tall, usually spreading; branchlets prominently angled, glutinous with resinous ribs; stipules ca 0-5 mm long. Phyllodes single, in pairs or in 3’s, linear curved with slightly oblique mucro, narrowed into a pulvinus, glutinous, glabrous, punctulate, 1:2-1-8cm long, 1~-1:7 mm wide, 8—11 times as long as wide, with three longitudinal nerves, one prominent, the others less so, translucent; gland basal, small but obvious. Spikes moderately dense 0:5—1:5 cm long on peduncles 3~7 mm long, single in the axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx with very thin, widely spreading, glabrous lobes 0-6—0:8 mm long ca 0:2 mm wide; corolla rather thick, 1-2-1:5 mm long, twice as long as the calyx, lobed to the middle; stamens ca 3 mm long; ovary slightly scurfy. Pod flat but thick, winged on the adaxial margin, obliquely nerved, 4cm long, 4mm wide, widest near the top, opening elastically from the top, glabrous and glutinous. Seeds oblique in depressions in the woody valves, ca 5mm long, 2:2mm wide, ca 1-5 mm thick, with a large open areole; funicle filiform, abruptly expanded into a hoary, neat cupular aril.

Burke District: 9 miles [14km] W of “Westmoreland”, Jun 1948, Perry 1341.

Acacia conjunctifolia is known only from the type locality and from the extreme north-western part of Queensland where it occurs on sandy soils. It flowers from June to about September. The arrangement of the phyllodes | similar to that found in A. conferta is unusual in section Juliflorae.

19, Acacia wickhamii Benth., London J. Bot. 1:377 (1842). Type: Swan Bay, West coast, Voyage of the “Beagle”, in 1827, Wickham (XK, holo).

A, wickhamiit Benth. var. viscidula F. Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:141 (1859). Type: Sturts Creek, Mueller (K, iso).

A. calligera F. Muell., loc. cit. 141 (1859), pro syn. Type: Gulf of Car- pentaria, Mueller 38 (MEL, holo; K, iso).

Resinous spreading shrub ca 1m tall; branchlets, glabrous and glutinous with translucent ribs; stipules ca 0:6mm long, Phyllodes glabrous, + sessile, ovate with undulate margins or oblong-ovate, with an oblique mucro, 5-15 mm long, 4-7 mm wide, 1-2-5 times as long as wide,. 1-3 prominent longitudinal nerves and other obscure ones, not reticulate, margins prominent; yellowish; gland

58237-—C

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subbasal, extremely small, Spikes dense, 5-20 mm long on glabrous peduncles (3—)8— 16 mm long in the upper axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx 0-7-1-1 mm long, glabrous or slightly scurfy, prominently ribbed, with blunt triangular lobes up to 0:2mm long or sometimes calyx merely undulate; corolla 1-3-1:7 mm long, glabrous or slightly scurfy, lobes with prominent midribs, 1-6-2 times as long as the calyx; stamens ca 3-5 mm long; ovary glabrous, sometimes minutely papillose. Pod flat, woody, broadest near the top, opening elastically by coiling back of valves from the top, prominently transversely nerved, up to 5 cm long, 6-7 mm wide. Seeds oblique, about 3mm long and 1:5 mm wide on a rather stiff straight funicle thickened into cupular aril; areole rather large, open.

Burxe Districr: 20 miles [32km] W of Gregory Downs, Jun 1948, Perry 1411. Coox DiIsTRicT: Stannary Hills turn-off 16km from, Herberton, Sep 1960, Smith 11239.

Acacia wickhamii extends from the northern part of Western Australia through the central part of the Northern Territory to the north-western part of Burke district in Queensland. Plants from the eastern part of its range have decidedly broader phyllodes than those from the west. In Queensland A, wickhamii occurs on gravely soils in eucalypt woodland. Flowering appears to extend from March to July and flowers and well developed fruits are often found on the one plant. Most fruit mature about August.

The relationships of the species are obscure. It is rather isolated in the Juliflorae but it is similar, particularly in characters of the pod, to A. nuperrima subsp. cassitera in n. the Plurinerves.

20. Acacia pubifolia Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 74:59 (1964). Type: Darling Downs District: Wyberba, Oct 1958, Pedley 318 (BRI, holo).

Tree 8m tall with dark fibrous bark; branchlets angular, pubescent, sometimes glaucous. Phyllodes subsessile, straight, elliptic or obovate with glandular apex, pubescent becoming puberulent, 2-10 cm long, 8-30 mm wide, 2:5-6'5 times as long as wide, many fine slightly prominent nerves, neither anastomosing nor running together; pulvinus often less than 2 mm long. Flowers 5—merous in dense subsessile axillary spikes 2~—5 cm long with puberulent peduncle and rachis; bracteoles concave, longer than the calyx, pilose on the back; calyx 0-5 mm long, cylindrical, truncate. or undulate, white-pubescent but the tops of the lobes with a few short brown hairs; corolla 1-6-1-8 mm long, the ovate- deltoid prominently ribbed lobes twice as long as the tube; ovary villose. Pod linear, pubescent, a little compressed, to 8cm long and 4mm wide. Seeds _ arranged longitudinally, black, rectangular, 4mm * 2mm; funicle twice as long as the seed, 2-3 times folded, forming small aril beneath the seed; areole indistinct, narrow and apparently closed.

DarRLInGc Downs District: Wyberba, Oct 1933, White 9379.

Acacia pubifolia is restricted to the Wyberba district south of Stanthorpe. It flowers in September. As mentioned in the protologue it has an affinity to A. pycnostachya from the New England region of New South Wales but there is also a relationship with A. blakei which has glabrous phyllodes, more elongate except on young plants, and usually less pubescent calyxes.

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21, Acacia acradenia F. Muell., Icon. Aust. Sp. Acacia dec 11. (1888), J. Proc. Linn, Soc. Bot, 3:142 (1859), pro. syn. Type: Hepat Stee Mueller 6 (MEL; K, iso; lectotypus novus).

Shrub to 4m tall with dull green foliage; branchlets angular, glutinous, ribs somewhat resinous, with indumentum of moderate to dense felty hairs. Phyllodes rather thick, elliptic to obovate, obtuse, glutinous, with moderately dense appressed hairs or glabrate, 4:5-11 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, 2-5-6 times as long as wide, with ca 5 longitudinal nerves prominent and many other secondary parallel nerves, not anastomosing but concurrent with lower margin near the base, not very conspicuous, nerves and margins yellowish, gland basal, a distinct swelling with a small orifice; pulvinus up to 6mm long, pubescent. Spikes moderately dense, 2—-4cm long in pairs in the upper axils, sometimes a rudimentary shoot between them, on moderately pubescent peduncles 1-3 mm long, the rachis densely pubescent. Flowers 5—merous, calyx stout, rather broad at the base, 1-1-1 mm long with obtuse lobes ca 0: 25 mm. long, densely pubescent throughout; corolla 1-6-1:8 mm long, ca 1:5 times as long as the calyx, glabrous, lobed to about the middle; stamens 3~4mm long; ovary pubescent. Pod + terete, ca 7cm long, 3:5 mm wide, curved, glutinous and with scattered hairs. Seeds longitudinal, 4mm long, 1-5 mm wide; funicle thickened and about twice folded beneath seed; areole narrow, closed.

BURKE DiIstRicT: 6 miles [10 km] S of Mt Isa, Oct 1962, Pediey 1117. GREGORY NORTH District: “Tranby”, 45 miles [72 km] SW of Winton, May 1936, Blake 11440. NorrH KENNEDY District: Bullock Creek, near Pentland, 20°32’S 145°24’"E, Aug 1970, Correll 107. MITcHELL District: 8 miles [13 km] NNW of Prairie, Jun 1954, Lazarides 4538.

Acacia acradenia, which flowers from about March to June, occurs on stony hillsides and ranges from the Northern Territory eastward to Prairie but does not

appear to be common except in the Cloncurry-Mt Isa area.

It was first described by Mueller (1859) but Bentham in editing the paper placed the name in synonymy under A. umbellata, and the name is therefore not validly published. The specimens cited by Mueller were referred by Bentham in .Flora Australiensis to A. umbellata though he had some reservation about the correct placement of Mueller’s flowering specimen from Depot Creek. Mueller (1888) published the name A. acradenia again, validating it by reference to the original 1859 description.

There appear to be only two syntypes. The Seven Emu River locality is apparently the same as the Gulf of Carpentaria one. Bentham cited it as “Seven Emu, and Robinson River” though the specimen at Kew is labelled “Gulf of Carpentaria”. The specimen referred to by Bentham as “Depot Creek, F, Mueller” is cited by Mueller as “ad originem fluminis Victoriae”,

Mueller’s description (1859), plate (1888) and syntypes represent two species. The fruiting specimen, Mueller 10 from the Gulf of Carpentaria, is A. umbellata. To preserve usage current in Queensland for the last 20 years and to prevent nomenclatural complications the flowering specimen (Depot Creek, Mueller 6) is selected-as lectotype of A. acradenia.

A. acradenia differs from A. umbellata in having usually pubescent branchlets and phyllodes, longer spikes with pubescent rachises and longer terete pods. A, curvicarpa from the Kimberley district of Western Australia is possibly conspecific with A. acradenia.

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22. Acacia laccata Pedley, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 75:31 (1964). Type: Mitchell District: “Corinda” ca 85 miles N of Aramac, Jun 1949, Everist 3860 (BRI, holo).

Shrub to 3 m tall; branchlets coarse, + terete, vernicose. Phyllodes straight, vernicose, 10-16cm long, 2:5—Scm wide, 3-5 times as long as wide, obtuse; longitudinal nerves crowded, not anastomosing, with about six slightly more prom- inent than the rest and sometimes running into the dorsal margin at the base; gland basal; pulvinus 6-7 mm long. Spikes 2-5 cm long, dense, on peduncles 1—1:5 cm long. Flowers S—merous; calyx ca 1:2 mm long with short vernicose lobes; corolla glabrous 2:2mm long; ovary villose. Pods linear, glabrous, 5—6 cm long, ca 7mm wide. Sceds longitudinal, ca 5mm long and 3 mm wide; funicle folded beneath seed.

BurKE Districr; Settlement Creek, Nov 1934, Brass 375. Norru KENNEDY DISTRICT: 47 miles [75 km] S of Charters Towers, Jun 1966, Ped/ey 2126, MuircHeLt District: 43 miles [69km] S of Prairie, 21°28’S 144°39°R, May 1970, Hind 16. SoutH KENNEDY Districr: 3 miles [5 km] E of “Laglan”, May 1964, Pedley 1717 (BRI, CANB),

Acacia laccata is fairly common on sandy soil in the western part of the Belyando basin and adjacent sandy areas to the west. It has also been found in the far north-west of Queensland, in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, It flowers about May or June,

The species does not appear to be closely related to any other. It differs markedly from A. megalantha to which it was compared in the protologue in having a flat linear, not markedly woody pod. A. gonoclada, which has smaller phyllodes without resin, appears to be its closest ally.

23. Acacia megalantha F, Muell., J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot, 3:143 (1859); Pedley, Proc. Roy: Soc. Qd 75:35 (1964). Type: Sturts Creek, Mueller 98 (MEL, holo; K, iso)

Medium shrub; branchlets angular, glabrous or scurfy, glutinous. Phyllodes coriaceous, elliptic with + straight lower margin and curved upper, 6-7 cm long, 1-5-2-2cm wide, 3-4-5 times as long as wide, 3 longitudinal nerves prominent and a number of crowded, parallel, obscure secondary nerves, neither anastomosing nor concurrent with each other at the base; gland basal, prominent; pulvinus to ca 3mm long. Spikes of few (ca 15) flowers, up to 2:5cm long on peduncles ca 1cm long, rachis and peduncles glabrous. Flowers 5—merous; calyx stout, broad cylindric, glabrous, 1-3 mm long with obtuse lobes ca 0-3 mm long; corolla lobes ca 4mm long, ca 1:3 mm wide, thickened at the end, united in the lower fifth, strongly recurved; stamens ca 5 mm long; ovary densely pubescent. Pod glabrous, woody, flat with prominent margins, ca 8 cm long, 8 mm wide, neither attenuate at the base nor opening elastically from the top. Seeds longitudinal or slightly oblique; funicle thickened but not folded, seen only when immature.

BurkE Districr: 17 miles [27 km] from Mt Isa on Camooweal Road, May 1963, Gittins 750.

In Queensland Acacia megalantha is found in the Mt Isa area on shallow stony soil but it is not at all common. It has the largest flowers of all Juliflorae and does not appear to have close relatives.

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24. Acacia gonclada F. Muell., J, Proc, Linn. Soc. Bot. 3:140 (1859). Type: Victoria River, Mueller (K, iso).

Misapplied name: A. leptostachya auct. non Benth.; Maiden, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 30:41 (1918).

Shrub to 4m tall; branchlets coarse, angular, sometimes flattened with yellowish angles, scurfy or glabrous, somewhat resinous; internodes short. Phyllodes coriaceous, oblong obtuse mucronulate, curved near the base so as to lie -+ parallel to the stem, (6-)9-12cm long, (8—-)12-20(-35) mm wide, (3—)4-5-7-5(-10) times as long as wide; 2 (or 3 when phyllode is broad) prominent longitudinal nerves and many parallel less conspicuous secondary slightly anastomosing nerves on narrow phyllodes + concurrent towards ventral margin at the base, young shoots dark; gland basal, prominent, the rim - raised; pulvinus 3-5 mm long. Spikes dense, 1-2cm long, single or in pairs in the upper axils on glutinous peduncles 3-6 mm long, occasionally in terminal panicles due to the reduction of subtending phyllodes, Flowers 5—merous; calyx broad-cylindric, densely pubescent 1-1:25 mm long with obtuse lobes 0:2—-0+3 mm long, often persisting at base of developing fruit; corolla stout, glabrous, 1-5-2 mm long, 1-5-1-7 times as long as the calyx; stamens 2-5-3 mm long; ovary with indumentum of dense short silvery hair. Pods flat glutinous to 4.cm long, 3-4 mm wide. Seeds longitudinal, ca 4mm long, 2mm wide with a narrow oblong open areole; funicle folded and thickened into pale aril.

Burke Disrricr: 10 miles [16km] E of Donors Hill, 18°41’S 140°21’E, Jun 1966, Pedley 2100. Coox Districr; Gilbert River, Jun 1925, Brass 429, SouTH KENNEDY DISTRICT: 7 miles [11 km] NE of “Mirtna” Stn, Jul 1964, Adams 1140.

Acacia gonoclada commonly occurs on stony shallow soils with Eucalyptus leucophloia in north-western Queensland and in the Northern Territory, but in the eastern part of its range south of Charters Towers it is found on loamy or sandy soils with E. drepanophylla or E. melanophioia, It flowers from May to July and fruits about September.

A. gonoclada and A. cowleana are closely related. The latter is usually pubescent, but when glabrous it is difficult to distinguish from A. gonoclada. -Its nerves are more widely spaced, its calyxes have only a few hairs at the base of the calyx and the pods are longer. |

A specimen (Normanton, Macdonnell) was referred by Maiden to A. lepto- stachya but the affinities of A. gonoclada lie with A. brevifolia and A, striatifolia rather than with A. leptostachya.

25. Acacia curvinervia Maiden, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 30:34 (1918). Type: Beta, Jul 1913, Boorman (NSW, holo; K, iso).

Spreading shrub to ca 3 m tall; branchlets angular, scattered hairs. Phyllodes curved, elliptic, - acute, juveniles densely pubescent and some brown scurf on young ones, 3:5—7(--10) cm Jong, 6-16(-23) mm wide, 2-5-5(—8) times as long as wide, 3-7 longitudinal nerves and many fine parallel nerves neither anastomosing nor concurrent with each other; gland basal, prominent, with a definite trim; pulvinus yellowish, ca 2mm long. Spikes moderately dense, 25-3 cm long, rachis pubescent, on axillary peduncles 4-10 mm long. Flowers 5—merous; calyx membranous, pubescent with long hairs except for short brown hairs on the lobes, ca 0:9 mm long, lobes free almost to the base, or 0-2-0:6 mm long with broad sinuses; corolla glabrous, 1-:2-1-:6 mm long, 1:3-1-:7 times as long as the calyx, lobed to about the middle; stamens 2:5-3:5 mm long; ovary

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densely pubescent. Pod + terete, scurfy, 5-10 cm long, ca 2:5 mm wide. Seeds longitudinal 3-5-4:5 mm long, 1:3-1:8mm wide, ca 1mm thick; areole + closed, pale; funicle 2-3 times folded, forming short aril beneath seed.

NorTH KENNEDY District: 45 miles [72 km] from Charters Towers on Clermont Road, May 1960, Johnson 1859, MiTrcuetr, District: Torrens Creek, May 1974, Abell; Helenvale, 25 miles [40 km] NE of Yalleroi, May 1937, Everist 1508. SoUrH KENNEDY District: Mt Coolon—Collinsville Road, May 1960, Johnson 1810*. L&ticHHARpr Duistricr: Denham Range, Clermont—Nebo Road, Jun 1966, Johnson 1922*; Zamia Range, 3 miles [5 km] NNW of Springsure, Mar 1960, Johnson 1402.

Acacia curvinervia is common on sandy soil in the Alpha-Barcaldine area where it forms dense stands usually in woodland of Eucalyptus similis. There are isolated occurrences elsewhere. The usual period of flowering is May-June.

On the eastern edge of its range it intergrades with A. julifera. Specimens representing intermediates are indicated by an asterisk (above). The area of intergrade is small in relation to the individual ranges of the species and they should be treated as distinct,

26. *Acacia spania Pedley. Type: “Fairhill”, 56 km NE of Emerald, Aug 1973, Daniels 6 (BRI, holo).

Tree ca 7m tall; branchlets angular, scurfy; stipules small deciduous, Phyllodes slightly scurfy (when young), straight, obtuse, broadest above the middle, 2-5-4:5 cm long, 13-18 mm wide, 2-3 times as long as wide, parallel longitudinal nerves numerous crowded, 3—5 perhaps slightly more prominent than the rest; gland basal, small; pulvinus | ca 1mm long, strongly wrinkled. Spikes 2-5-4 em long, dense, on short peduncles (up to ca 3mm long) in upper axils. Flowers 5—merous; calyx ca 1mm long divided almost to the base with obtuse lobes broadest near the top, a few hairs at base and a little brown scurf at the top, sinuses broad, obtuse; corolla ca 1-5mm long, glabrous; stamens 2 mm long; ovary glabrous, Pod unknown. |

Acacia spania is known only from the type locality where it is reported to occur on shallow red soil in semi-open country. Its nearest relatives appear to be A.umbellata and A. striatifolia but it has much smaller phyllodes and deeply lobed calyx. The structure of the calyx suggests a possible relationship with A. curvi- nervia. Pods are required to elucidate its affinities.

27. Acacia umbellata A. Cunn. ex pe London J. Bot. 1:378 (1842).

Syntypes: Cleveland Bay, June ai , Cunningham (K, BM, iso); Cape

Flinders, July a , Cunningham (CK); Australia, Bauer (ex herb. Mus. Vine. 1837) (K).

Rather dense shrub ca 1:5 m tall; branchlets = terete or angular, somewhat . resinous; young shoots reddish. Phyllodes glabrous, elliptic, obtuse, sometimes mucronulate, straight or somewhat curved at the base so as to parallel the stem,

*Acacia spania species nova affinis A. striatifoliae Pedley et A. umbellatae A. Cunn. ex Benth. phyllodiis parvioribus, spicis longioribus et calycibus profunditer lobatis differt, Typus: Daniels 6 (BRI, holotypus).

Arbor circa 7m alta; ramuli furfuracei angulares; stipulae parvae caduceae. Phyllodia leviter furfuracea ubi juvenia, recta obtusa latissima supra medium 2:5—4:Scm_ longa, 13-18 mm lata, 2-3~plo longiora quam latiora, nervis crebris longitudinalibus numerosis parallelis, 3~5 quam ceteris forte leviter prominentioribus praedita; glans parva basalis; pulvinus valde rugosus circa 1mm longus, Spicae densae 2:5-4cm longae in pedunculis usque 3mm _ longis semel in axillis supernis portatae. Flores 5—meri; calyx 1mm longus: in lobos subglabros obtusos versus apicem latissimos profunde lobatus: corolla circa 1:5 mm longa glabra; stamina 2mm longa; ovarium glabrum, Legumen ignotum.

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6-10(-14) cm long, (12—)16-30(—35) mm wide, 2—5:5(-8) times as long as © broad, with 1, 2 or 3 longitudinal nerves prominent, often yellowish, and many fine parallel secondary nerves, not anastomosing, occasionally, when phyllodes are narrow, concurrent with lower margin near the base; gland basal, with some- what protruding rim and small orifice; pulvinus 3-5(—7) mm long. Spikes dense, 1(—2) cm long on often slightly scurfy peduncles 1-2(—3-5) mm long, two or rarely three. on short axillary branches up to 1 cm long, sometimes growing out into leafy shoots. Flowers S—merous; calyx (0:7—)0:9-1 mm long, moderately or sparsely pubescent, lobes usually 0-1-0:2 mm long, obtuse, fimbriate; corolla 1-2—-1:4(—1:6) mm long, glabrous, lobed to about the middle; stamens ca 3-5 mm long; ovary glabrous or sometimes scurfy. Pod = terete, curved, 3-4-5 cm long, ca 3mm wide, longitudinally wrinkled and with rather prominent margins. Seeds longitudinal, shining black, ca 3-5 mm long, ca 2 mm wide and 1 mm thick; areole small, open; funicle ribbon-like, folded ca 5 times to form basal aril. _— =

BURKE DisTricr: “Riversleigh”, Jun 1966, Pedley 2065. Cook Duisrricr: 10 miles [16kmj] W of Dimbulah on Petford Road, Apr 1962, AdcKee 9419. Norta KENNEDY

District: Bowen, Shirley, SouTH KENNEDY DistrricT: “Disney” ca 90 miles [145 km] N of Clermont, Jul 1964, Pedley 1726.

Acacia umbellata is found in coastal and subcoastal districts of Queensland though it is apparently absent from Cape York Peninsula north of about Cook- town. It is found usually on stony or shallow sandy soils. Flowers are borne erratically during the wet season (summer).

A, umbellata and A. acradenia are closely allied and are often confused in herbaria (see A. acradenia). The two may be sympatric north of Mt Isa but I have not seen them growing together. A. acradenia is usually spindly and little- branched whereas A. umbellata is a low spreading densely branched shrub— hence Cunningham’s epithet.

I have not selected a lectotype, but if one is chosen the Bauer sheet at Kew should be excluded. This is a mixture of A. umbellata and probably A. julifera.

28. “Acacia striatifolia Pedley. Type: Darling Downs District: 20 km NE of Chinchilla, Aug 1973, Pedley 4128 (BRI, holo; A, CANB, K, L, MEL, PR, iso).

Tree to 8m tall; branchlets angular, minutely pubescent or mealy; young shoots reddish. Phyllodes glabrous straight, elliptic, obtuse mucronulate, 5—8 cm long, (13—)18-30(-40) mm wide, 2-4-5 times as long as wide; 3, rarely 5, longitudinal nerves more prominent than the rest with many