Common name: mulga
Acacia aneura F.Muell. ex Benth. APNI* Synonyms: Racosperma aneurum (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Pedley APNI*
Acacia aneura var. latifolia J.M.Black APNI*
Acacia aneura var. intermedia Pedley APNI*
Acacia aneura var. aneura F.Muell. ex Benth. APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading tree or shrub mostly 5–10 m high; bark fissured, dark grey; branchlets ± terete, ± hairy.
Phyllodes usually ± linear to very narrowly elliptic and 4–10 cm long and 1–3 mm wide, sometimes ± narrowly elliptic and 1–5 cm long and 3–6 mm wide, straight or slightly curved, ± glaucous, glabrous or finely hairy, longitudinal veins numerous, obscure, apex subacute or obtuse; 1 small gland at base; pulvinus < 2 mm long.
Inflorescences 1 or rarely 2 in axil of phyllodes; peduncles 3–10 mm long, appressed-hairy, scurfy; heads cylindrical, usually 1.5–2.5 cm long (some spikes may be c. 1 cm long), bright yellow.
Pods ± straight, ± flat, mostly 2–4 cm long, 7–15 mm wide, thinly to firmly papery, glabrous or minutely hairy; margins winged or prominent; seeds oblique; funicle filiform, short; aril enlarged.
Flowering: usually mid March–May.
Distribution and occurrence: in New South Wales chiefly west from Nyngan and Griffith but as far east as the upper Hunter Valley. The status of plants in the Hunter Valley is uncertain; possibly introduced to the area. widespread, occurring in most vegetation communities in inland districts.
NSW subdivisions: NWP, NFWP, SWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. N.T. S.A.
One of a complex group of species also including Acacia brachystachya and A. ramulosa. It is a variable species, often difficult to distinguish from other Mulga species, particularly when pods are not available. Ten varieties were recognised by L. Pedley in the Flora of Australia Vol. 11B (2001) with var. aneura (A. aneura in Maslin & Reid 2012), var. intermedia (provisionally regarded as conspecific with the broadly circumscribed A. aneura in Maslin & Reid 2012), var. major and var. tenuis (A. aptaneura in Maslin & Reid 2012) reported for New South Wales. Further revisions of the group have followed; see B.R. Maslin & J.E. Reid, A taxonomic revision of Mulga (Acacia aneura and its close relatives: Fabaceae) in Western Australia. Nuytsia 22(4): 163-171, Figs 11-14 (2012) and B.R. Maslin, M. O'Leary, J. Reid & J.T. Miller, The type of Acacia aneura (Mulga: Fabaceae) and ambiguities concerning the application of this name. Nuytsia 22(4): 269-294, Figs 1-12 (2012).
Text by P.G. Kodela (last updated December 2014)
Taxon concept: P.G. Kodela & G.J. Harden, Flora of NSW Vol. 2 (2002)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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