Citation: R. V. Smith, Vic. Nat. 73:171 (1957).

Derivation: enteron (Gr.)--intestine; karpos (Gr.)--fruit, refers to the pod having a resemblance to an intestine.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Jumping Jack wattle

Description:
Small, dense, much branched, spreading, prickly shrubs to 1.5 m high and usually spreading the same or more across; branchlets reddish-brown, striate, asperulate.

Phyllodes linear, 2-4.5 cm long, c. 1 mm diam., straight or slightly curved, rigid, almost terete, asperulate, veins longitudinal, 10-12 and prominent, apex contracting suddenly into a sharp reddish-brown, rigid point.

Inflorescences simple and axillary, solitary, mostly twin, or sometimes ternate; flower-heads globular, bright yellow, c. 20-flowered; peduncles some-what thick, c. 5 mm long, covered with short whitish hairs; flowers 5-merous.

Legumes small, 15-20 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, prominently undulate, biconvex, light brown with a few scattered hairs; margins prominent, thickened and pale yellow. Seeds longitudinal in legume, obloid-ellipsoid; funicle very short, terminating into a fleshy aril.

Distribution:  This species has a rather restricted occurrence, in South-Eastern region near Mundalla south-west of Bordertown, Yorke Peninsula around the Curramulka area and Eyre Peninsula region (southern part), mainly associated with woodland to open, forest. Soils; mainly sandy alkaline and hard neutral yellow duplex, red shallow porous loam and grey cracking and self-mulching clays. Rainfall 300-500 mm. Also Little Desert area, western Vic. S.Aust.: EP, YP, SE. Conservation status: Lang & Kraehenbuehl (1987) consider this species to be Vulnerable, Briggs & Leigh (1988) consider it Endangered but conserved. Flowering time: May — October.

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

Biology: No text

Related taxa: A. colletioides and A. nyssophylla are closely allied but do not have asperulate branches and phyllodes or prominently undulate legumes; see these species for further features.

Taxonomic notes: Stuwe (1980) discusses the range, abundance and ecology of A. enterocarpa in Victoria where it occurs mainly on the Lawloit Range near Diapur. None then occurred on any Reserve and the population was estimated at a total of 600 plants and was classified as Endangered.

The pods have a remarkable resemblance to the fire cracker known as the jumping jack, hence the common name.

Cultivation: A low spreading shrub suitable as a low hedge plant also as a ground cover or for roadside planting. Moderate growth rate.

Author: Not yet available

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