Acacia longifolia (Andrews) Willd. APNI* Synonyms: Racosperma longifolium (Andrews) Pedley APNI*
Acacia longifolia var. typica Benth. APNI*
Mimosa longifolia Andrews APNI*
Mimosa macrostachya Poir., nom. illeg. APNI*
Description: Shrub or tree to 8 m high; bark smooth or finely fissured, greyish; branchlets angled towards apices, glabrous or sparsely appressed-hairy on new growth.
Phyllodes ± straight or sometimes slightly curved, 4–20 cm long, 4–30 mm wide, ± glabrous, several longitudinal veins prominent, minor veins longitudinally anastomosing, apex acute to obtuse with a mucro; 1 gland near base; pulvinus 3–5 mm long.
Inflorescences 1 or 2 in axil of phyllodes; peduncles 0–2 mm long, glabrous; heads cylindrical, 2–4.5 cm long, bright yellow or sometimes paler.
Pods straight to strongly twisted, raised over and slightly, or sometimes more deeply, constricted between seeds (± terete when fresh), usually 4–15 cm long (sometimes to 19 cm long), 2.5–6 mm wide, thinly leathery or firmly papery and brittle when dry, longitudinally ridged-wrinkled when dry, glabrous or sparsely hairy; seeds longitudinal; funicle folded and thickening into a large aril.
Flowering: June–October.
Distribution and occurrence: common on Coast and Tablelands. Grows in sclerophyll communities and coastal heath and scrub, including sand on foredunes.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A. *W.A.
The name refers to the long phyllodes. Intermediates occur between the subspecies; both subspecies are cultivated, and often naturalised.
Text by P.G. Kodela (August 2005)
Taxon concept: P.G. Kodela & G.J. Harden (2002)
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Erect or spreading shrub or tree 1–8 m high. Phyllodes 6–20 cm long, mostly 4–20 mm wide, 2 or 3 or more longitudinal veins more prominent, apex usually acute or subacute. Pods ± straight to curved, sometimes curled back or twisted on opening. | subsp. longifolia |
| Prostrate or decumbent shrub 0.5–3 m high, sometimes taller. Phyllodes 4–11 cm long, 10–30 mm wide, 2–4 longitudinal veins more prominent, apex subacute or obtuse. Pods often coiled and twisted on opening. | subsp. sophorae |
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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