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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Fabaceae
Acacia rhetinocarpa

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Citation: J. M. Black, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 44:193 t.10(1920).

Derivation: rhetine (Gr.)—resin or gum; karpos (Gr.)—fruit.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Erect, compact, rounded, resinous, spreading shrubs 0.5-1.5 m high; branchlets hairy, light yellowish-brown but becoming dark grey towards the base.

Phyllodes obliquely obovate 2-5 mm long, 2_3 mm broad, flat, thick, erect, yellowish-green, resinous, minutely glandular, obscurely 1-veined, occasionally with a few obscure lateral veins, a small gland is situated below the oblique point on the outer margin.

Inflorescences simple and axillary, solitary; flower-heads globular, bright yellow c. 12-15-flowered; peduncles glabrous, 4-7 mm long; flowers 5-merous.

Legumes linear, 1-3.5 cm long, 2-2.5 mm broad, straight or curved, biconvex, brown, resinous and glossy, apex acute; margins pale, slightly thickened. Seeds longitudinal in legume, obloid; funicle short, folded under the fleshy aril.

Distribution:  Endemic to S.Aust. Found scattered in a few small areas near the east coast of Eyre Peninsula region around Arno Bay, east coast of Yorke Peninsula region near Curramulka, Southern Lofty region and also in the Murray region restricted to the Monarto area. Usually in open scrub vegetation, associated with Eucalyptus gracilis, E. socialis and E. incrassata. Soils; calcareous sands, red shallow porous loam or grey-brown calcareous loamy earths. Rainfall 250-350 mm.

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

Conservation status: Lang & Kraehenbuehl (1987)and Briggs & Leigh (1988) consider this species Vulnerable to Endangered in South Australia.

Flowering time: August — October.


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

Biology: No text

Related taxa: Acacia acinacea (sp. 6) and Acacia merrallii (sp. 26) have similar flat oblique-obovate phyllodes, but are never resinous. Acacia glandulicarpa (sp. 63) has very similar phyllodes but differs in having two prominent veins and legumes covered with short brown hairs. The species has affinities with A. brachyclada W.V. Fitzg, an endemic W.Aust. species.

Taxonomic notes: Preiss (1968) describes visits to the Monarto region to search for and protect the uncommon A. rhetinocarpa. Initiatives from the Field Naturalists Society resulted in the protection of populations of the species.

Spooner (1974) describes visits to the protected colonies of this species near the Ferries MacDonald Conservation Park, where fencing has allowed growth and regeneration of native species to proceed. An augmented list of species present is also given.

Cultivation: Little known in cultivation. Would recommend as small ornamental shrub, suitable for rockeries or roadside planting. It does well in neutral or alkaline sandy soils and has a moderate growth rate.

Author: Not yet available

Source:


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