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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Fabaceae
Acacia montana

photograph

Citation: G. Bentham, Hook. Lond. J. Bot. 1:360 (1842).

Derivation: montanus (Latin)--growing on mountains.

Synonymy: Racosperma montanum (Benth.)Pedley, Austrobaileya 2:352 (1987)., Acacia clavata, Acacia montana

Common name: Mallee wattle

Description:
Viscid, bushy, spreading shrubs, 1.5-3.5 m high, sometimes having a small tree-like, rather open, habit with a short trunk; branchlets slightly angular, striate, finely pubescent but becoming almost glabrous; bark reddish-brown.

Phyllodes narrowly oblong, 1.5-4 cm long, 3-7 mm broad, viscid, 2 equally prominent longitudinal veins with fine reticulate veins between, apex obtuse with a small, brownish, slightly raised, and sometimes oblique gland, a small obscure second gland on the upper margin near the base.

Inflorescences simple and axillary, usually twin; flower-heads globular, mid-yellow, c. 25-flowered; peduncles slender, 5-8 mm long, viscid, glabrous or slightly hairy; flowers 5-merous.

Legumes linear, 3-5 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, straight or curved, densely covered with white, woolly hairs, margins slightly constricted between seeds. Seeds longitudinal in legume; funicle with 2-3 folds thickening into a cup-shaped aril.

Distribution:  A small occurrence in the Northern Lofty region between Clare and Jamestown then into the Murray region near Truro, and along the Murray near Murray Bridge to Mannum. In open scrub, associated with Eucalyptus gracilis and E. socialis. Soils: hard alkaline red duplex and grey-brown calcareous loamy earths. Rainfall 350-500 mm. Also Qld, N.S.W. and Vic.

S.Aust.: EP, NL, MU, SL, SE.

Conservation status: Lang & Kraehenbuehl (1987) consider this species to be Rare.

Flowering time: August — September.


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

Biology: No text

Related taxa: The narrow-phyllode forms of mallee wattle can be confused with Acacia wilhelmiana but the latter differs mainly in having golden pubescent peduncles and glabrous much curved legumes. Acacia dictyophleba has longer phyllodes and peduncles and occurs in the Far North regions 1 and 2.

Taxonomic notes: A. montana is illustrated in colour in Kenny (1976).

Forms with glabrous legumes occur but scarcely deserve special rank.

Cultivation: Useful as an ornamental or for low shelter belt planting in semi-arid areas. Moderate to fast growth rate.

Author: Not yet available

Source:


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