Common name: Chalker's wattle
Acacia chalkeri Maiden APNI* Synonyms: Racosperma chalkeri (Maiden) Pedley APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading shrub 1–4 m high; branchlets angled at extremities, dark reddish, glabrous.
Phyllodes oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, ± straight, 2.5–6 cm long, 4–8 mm wide, glabrous, midvein prominent, lateral veins faint, margins ± prominent, apex obtuse with a mucro; 1 inconspicuous gland 1–10 mm above pulvinus; pulvinus < 2 mm long.
Inflorescences 4–9 in an axillary raceme; axis mostly 1–5 cm long; peduncles 2–4 mm long, glabrous; heads globose, 15–25-flowered, 3.5–5.5 mm diam., bright yellow.
Pods straight to slightly curved, usually ± straight-sided to barely or slightly and irregularly constricted between seeds, ± flat, 4–9 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, firmly papery to thinly leathery, glabrous, often slightly pruinose; seeds longitudinal; funicle ± encircling seed.
Flowering: usually November–January.
Distribution and occurrence: confined to limestone near Wombeyan Caves. Grows in dry sclerophyll forest and woodland.
NSW subdivisions: CT
Named after Thomas Michael Chalker who was caretaker at Wombeyan Caves 1888-1925. Similar to Acacia amoena which generally has longer phyllodes and fewer flowers in the heads.
Text by P.G. Kodela (last update Apr 2012)
Taxon concept: P.G. Kodela & G.J. Harden, Flora of NSW Vol. 2 (2002)
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