Acacia brockii

Acacia brockii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a tree with linear phyllodes tapered at both ends, spikes of lemon yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs, and linear, papery pods.

Description

Acacia brockii is a slender tree that typically grows to a height of with smooth, dark grey bark and silvery-grey young foliage that soon becomes glabrous. Its phyllodes are linear, flat, straight or slightly curved, long and wide and bright green with a gland at the base. The flowers are borne in one or two spikes in leaf axils on densely hairy peduncles long, each spike long and wide with pale yellow flowers. Flowering has been recorded in April and May, and the pods are linear, papery, long, wide, light brown and raised over the seeds.
This species is distinguished from other Northern Territory Acacias by the flattened hairs on its young phyllodes, its fringed bracteoles with sharp tips that extend beyond the flower buds, and by the fine, long, silvery hairs on its sepals.

Taxonomy

Acacia brockii wad first formally described in 1992 by Mary Tindale and Phillip Kodela in the journal Telopea from specimens collected in Kakadu National Park by Andrew Slee and Lyndley Craven. The specific epithet,, honours John Brock, the Northern Territory author and botanical consultant who first collected this species.

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle is endemic to the Northern Territory where it grows in red kaolinitic soil in the Arnhem Plateau and Pine Creek bioregions in Kakadu and Nitmiluk National Parks.