Acacia abbatiana

General Plant Info

Acacia abbatiana is a small tree or erect shrub 4m high, confined to the Mount Abbot area, Queensland, where it occurs in heathland on rather steep slopes on skeletal soils derived from granite.

Acacia abbatiana is closely related to Acacia granitica, and was recorded as such by A.R.Bean, Proc. Roy. Soc. Qd 104: 43–66 (1994), but differs in having lamellated bark, somewhat shorter phyllodes, slender spikes on rudimentary racemes, smaller flowers, calyx with rather dense arachnoid hairs and shorter pods with smaller seeds.

Geographic distribution

Acacia abbatiana is endemic to the South Kennedy District of Mt Abbot, Queensland. 50 km W of Bowen, 2006’S 14746’E, alt. 800 m

Identification

Unlike Acacia granitica, Acacia abbatiana has lemellated bark (described by collector as ‘fibrous’, with glabrous branches.

Phyllodes linear, (7–) 9.5–15 cm long, 1.6–3 mm wide, straight, glabrous, with numerous parallel non-anastomosing longitudinal nerves.

Spikes 2 or 3 on rudimentary racemes, obloid to cylindrical, 8–9 mm long; peduncles 1–2 mm long.

Flowers 5-merous; calyx gamosepalous, cupular, membranous, invested with rather dense arachnoid hairs; petals 1.3–1.5 mm long.

Pods to 35 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, pale brown, marginal nerves thick.

Seeds longitudinal 2.4–3.2 mm long, 1.3–1.4 mm wide; funicle thickened into a small aril capping the seed.

Links

• http://www.worldwidewattle.com/speciesgallery/abbatiana.php
• http://www.publish.csiro.au/web_cds_demo/wattle/html/abbatiana.htm