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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Fabaceae
Acacia alcockii

photograph

Citation: B. R. Maslin & D. J. E. Whibley, Nuytsia 6:19-23 (1987).

Derivation: The name commemorates Mr C. R. Alcock who collected plants extensively on Eyre Peninsula.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Bushy shrub or small tree to 3 m often suckering, branchlets terete but slightly angled at extremities, bark grey or brown at base, reddish on young branches.

Phyllodes narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, slightly asymmetric narrowed towards base, abruptly narrowed to acute or obtuse apices, 6-9 cm long, 8-21 mm wide sometimes interspersed with a few smaller ones, straight or a little recurved, thinly coriaceous, glabrous, dark green, midrib slightly raised, lateral veins obscure. Gland on upper margin 8-12 mm from pulvinus.

Inflorescences 1 per node, racemose, occasionally with a simple axillary peduncle or a small panicle. Racemes 2-4 cm long with 5-11 heads. Peduncles 4-5 mm long on racemes or 8-10 mm if simple, glabrous. Flower-heads globular, pale yellow, 10 mm diam. when fresh, flowers 25-40 densely arranged. Bracteoles peltate. Flowers 5-merous. Ovary glabrous or villous.

Legumes oblong to narrow oblong, not much raised over seeds, straight edged or a little constricted between seeds with occasional deep constrictions, to 9 cm long, 8 17 mm wide, up to 14 seeds per legume, finely reticulate, coriaceous, abruptly constricted at base into a thick stipe 2-3 mm long. Seeds transverse, close together, no pronounced partitions, oblong-ellipsoid 5-6 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, dull to shiny black, funicle light red-brown, to 40 mm long usually with 2-3 short folds before encircling seed in a U-shaped fold, aril clavate, and may extend 1/2-way down one side of the seed.

Distribution:  The species is often found in sand over limestone, more rarely on skeletal soils or sandy soils over granite. It may form pure stands in open areas of Eucalyptus gracilis or in Eucalyptus foecunda, Melaleuca lanceolata and M. uncinata scrub. It is restricted to the south of Eyre Peninsula where two main populations occur one at Stamford Hill, Cape Donnington Peninsula and Pillie Lake within the Lincoln National Park and at Billy Light Point near Port Lincoln. In addition it occurs also at West Point, Memory Cove and near Jussieu Bay.

S.Aust.: EP.

Flowering time: The species has been collected in flower between December and February and in pod between February and June.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Related taxa: It is placed between A. anceps and A. leiophylla and it may possibly be of hybrid origin. From these two it may be distinguished by the combination of its racemose inflorescences and transverse seeds.

Cultivation: Could be useful in subcoastal sites.

Author: Not yet available

Source:


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