Acacia ericksoniae
Acacia ericksoniae is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a many-branched, more or less spreading shrub with hairy branchlets that are often spiny, triangular phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, spherical heads of golden yellow flowers, and coiled pods.
Description
Acacia ericksoniae is a many-branched, more or less spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of and has more or less slender branchlets covered with tiny, rigid hairs and often spiny. The phyllodes are triangular with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide, the upper margin forming a prominent, rounded angle and the lower margin shallowly convex. The phyllodes have a short, sometimes sharp point on the ends and are covered with tiny, rigid hairs. The flowers are borne in a spherical head in axils more than long on a peduncle long, the heads in diameter with 10 to 17 golden yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from June to September, and the pods are closely coiled, up to long and wide, firmly papery to thinly leathery and red-brown. The seeds are long, brown mottled black, with a thick aril.
Taxonomy
Acacia ericksoniae was first formally described in 1999 by Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected north of Wongan Hills towards Piawaning in 1976. The specific epithet honours "Mrs Frederika Erickson, who has made a significant contribution to our knowledge of the Western Australian flora...".
Distribution
This species of wattle grows on sandplain, scrub or woodland on low, rocky hills near Mingenew and Three Springs, from near Watheroo and south-south-east to near Tammin and in the Chiddarcooping Nature Reserve (about due east of Watheroo, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain bioregions of south-western Western Australia.
Conservation status
Acacia ericksoniae is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.