Fabaceae (Subfamily Mimosoideae) / Mimosaceae

Acacia disparrima subsp. disparrima

(Synonym: Acacia aulacocarpa s. lat. )

BRUSH IRONBARK WATTLE, BROWN SALWOOD

Shrub or small to medium-sized tree, to 20 m high; bark grey, hard, fissured. Buds and stems hairless; stipules 2, free, ovate, 0.5–1 mm long.

Leaves bipinnately compound (at least in juvenile growth) or more usually modified and reduced to phyllodes in adult growth. Phyllodes alternate, ± elliptic, 6–14 cm long, 1–5.2 cm wide, curved, apex bluntly acute, base tapered, margins entire, both surfaces covered with very fine silvery-grey hairs; longitudinally veined with 4 or 5 prominent longitudinal veins, several minor veins visible and forming an elongated open network; gland solitary, small, raised, on the upper margin near the base; pulvinus 4–7 mm long.

Inflorescences axillary, cylindrical spikes, 1 or 2 per axil, 2–5.5 cm long, ± interrupted; peduncles 5–12 mm long. Flowers bisexual or some male, actinomorphic, 5-merous, pale yellow to lemon yellow;  sepals and petals 5, small; stamens numerous, longer than petals; carpel (if present) solitary, ovary superior.

Fruit dry, a pod, compressed-oblong, 6–10 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, hairless, brown, surfaces veiny, straight to curved, woody, resinous; seeds 5–10, black; funicle whitish, variously folded and expanded below seed and aril-like.

Illustration of leaves & fruit

Habitat and Distribution:

In open forest and on margins of STRf, DRf and LRf, also common in DRf regrowth; north from the Bellinger River, N.S.W., to Mackay, N Qld.

Notes:

Only the type subspecies grows in the area covered by this treatment. Acacia disparrima subsp. calidestris grows in N Qld from Townsville to Cape Melville.

 Copyright © 2014, All rights reserved.