species.— Shrubs or trees (one American species is herbaceous), with alternate leaves, always pinnate on the yoiuig
plant, often reduced to leaf-like petioles in the old one and in the majority o f the Australian species. Stipules none
or minute; glands often occur on the petioles o f the pinnate-leaved species. Flowei-s small, yellow, collected into
capitula or spikes, tbat are simply pedunculate, or spiked or racemed on branching peduncles, often polygamous;
the perianth is wanting in a very few species. Calyx of three to five valvate sepals, generally campanulate, and
more or less united. CoroUa of three to five equal valvate petals, also geuerally united. Stamens very numerous,
with long, cellular, flexuose filaments, and minute anthers, free or united below into a cup or perigj-nous disc around
the pistil of the hermaphrodite flowers; in male flowers sometimes miited into a column, but uever into a tube.
Pollen-graiiis collected into four or six masses in each anther-cell, each mass composed of sixteen grains, cohering
into a sphere. F is til m in u te ; ovary generally m auy-ovided; sty le slender, with a capitate stigma. F od extremely
variable, very dissimilar iu the most closely allied species, so that it does not afl'ord sectional characters o f any
importance, often linear, two-valved, one-ceHed, many-seeded, sometimes very short and broad, at others divided
by cellular septa into many cells, rarely terete. Seeds transversely oblong.— Many of the plants of this genus yield
admirable timber, aud others valuable gum. The A . mollminia is the cognizance o f Tasmania. (Name from aica^w,
to sharpen; in allusion to the spiuescence o f many species.)
S e r i e s I . P E T L L O B IN E H .— Leaves reduced to flattened petioles.
§ 1. T r ia n g u l a r e s (Benth.).— Stems not winged. Stipules spinescent, or setaceous, or 0. Phyllodia m a ll, ovate,
obovate, or cuneate-triangular, one-nerved, penniveined. Flowers capitate; peduncle simple.
1. A ca cia Gunnii (B en th . in Lond. Journ. B o t. i. 3 3 2 ) ; fru ticu lu s parvus depressus, to tu s breviter
puberulus v. tomentosus, stipulis setaceis obsoietisque, p h jllo d iis parvis ovato- v . lanceolato-triangularibus
basi oblique cuneatis rectis faleatisve nervo margini inferiori approximato in spinam excurrente, ángulo
superiore obtusissimo rarius glandulifero, capitulis splieericis multifloris, bracteolis peltatis lamina subulato-
lanceolata.— B en th . in L in n a a , xx v i. 6 0 7 . {Gunn, 4 2 3 .) (T ab. X V I I I .)
H a b . S ou th E sk River, twenty-three miles from Lau n c e ston ; near Hobarton, Eagle -hawk N e ck , and
CampbeU-town, L awrence, Gunn, etc .— (FI. Oct.) («. v .)
D i s t r i b . N ew Sou th Wales.
A small bush, 2 -3 feet high, very lig id and pungent, more or less covered wdth small shoi-t or long hairs, or
Stipules setaceous. Fhyllodia extremely variable in size and form, inch long, ilgid, pungent,
straight or sickle-formed, broad or narrow, tapering from an obliquely cuneate base to a rigid, pungent p o in t;
upper margin convex, gibbous, ot rounded, lower straight or concave, both thickened; nerve veiy stout. Fedim-
cles longer or shorter than the leaves, pubescent; capitula spherical. Sepals five, lanceolate, spathulate, pubescent,
at first united, then nearly free. Petals twice as long, elHptic-lanceolate, nearly free. Stamens vciy numerous;
filaments united at the base. Ovary linear-oblong. Fods | - 1 inch long, compressed, linear, deeply notched between
each se ed; margms tiiickened. Seeds nearly orbicular, compressed, mottled green and brown; funiculus
slender.— P l a t e X V III. Fig. 1, portion of branch, leaf, peduncle, and capitulum; 2, 3, 4, leaves of various shapes;
5, vertical section of young capitulum; 6, flower; 7 , stamen; 8 , anther; 9 , pollen; 1 0 , ovary; 11, vertical section
o f ovarj'; 12, ovule; 1 3 ,1 4 , pods; 15, vertical section o f one lobe o f pod; 16, seed; 17, transverse section of
se ed ;— all but 13 and 14 i.
§ 2. P u n g e n t e s (Benth.).— Stems not winged. Stipules setaceous, minute or 0. Fhyllodia rigid, pungent, linear-
lanceolate or subulate, terete, one-nerved, not broad and triangular a t the base. Flowers capitate; peduncle simple.
2 . Acacia Staartiana (E. MüJl. M S S ., Ben th . in L innsea, xx v i. 6 0 9 ) ; fruticulus humilis robustas dif-
fusus glaber, p hyllodiis breviter linearibus lineari-lanceolatisve strietis faleatisve pungentibus uninerviis basi
itis, pedunculis solitariis capitulo sphserico brevioribus, bracteolis peltatis, sepalis spathulatis liberis
corollæ dimidium æquantibus, legum ine late-lineari marginato.— A . siculæformis, var. /3 ? bossiæoides,
B en th . in L ond. Journ. B o t. i. 3 3 7 . {Gunn, 2 0 7 e t 2 0 7 ?) ( T a b . X IX .)
H a b . South E sk River, thirty miles south o f Launceston, summit o f W e stern Mountains, and Arthur’s
Lake, 3 - 4 0 0 0 feet, Gunn, Ouse B rid g e and F alls o f th e De rwent, J . I ) . I I .— (El. D e c .) (v. v.)
D i s t r i b . Mountains o f South-eastern Australia.
A small shmb, 2 - 3 feet high, with straggling, depressed, rigid, woody branches. Stipules ve iy minute, ovate.
Phyllodia 4 - 4 incli long, very rigid, pungent, one-nerved, linear or lanceolate, acuminate, slightly contracted at the
base, straight or falcate. Capitula on veiy short peduncles, spherical. Pods linear, pediceUed, about 1 inch long
and 4 broad, much compressed, with thickened edges; valves glaucous, buUate, membranous. Zfeerfs six to ten,
nearly orbicular, much compressed, je t black, shining.— Veiy nearly allied to A . siculæformis of New South "Wales,
but that plant has louger peduncles, and its ftnait is unknown; it is improbable that it should prove the same as
this, wliich is an alpine species.— P l a t e XIX. Fig. 1, branch, leaf, and capitulum; 2, flower; 3, ovary; 4, pod;
5, seed; 6 , 7, seed; 8, transverse section, and 9, longitudinal section o f seed; 10, embrjm :— a ll but figs. 4 and
5 f,
3. Aca cia diflPasa (Lindl. B o t. Reg. t. 6 3 2 ) ; frutex h umilis diffusus glaber, ramulis angulatis, phyllodiis
linearibus angustis rigidis crassis pungenti-mucronatis uninerviis aveniis sicco substriatis basi v ix
angustatis, pedunculis solitariis gem in isve sphæricis monocephalis, capitulo multifloro, legum ine lon g e
lineari compresso.— in Lon d . Journ. B o t. i. 3 3 7 . A . prostrata, L o d d . B ot. C ai. 6 3 1 . {Gunn, 1 3 1 .)
H a b . Abundant in dry places, and especially by roadsides, thi-oughout th e Islan d .— (El. Oct. Dec .)
{«. «.)
A small bush, rarely growTng to more than 3 feet in height, but sometimes fonning a diminutive tree.—Branches
spreading, often prostrate, rigid, angled. Phyllodia 4 - 2 inches long, linear, rigid, pungent, one-nerved, naiTowed
at the base. Peduncles generally two or tliree together, 4 - 1 inch long, shorter than the phyUodia. CapituU spherical.
Flowers very numerous. Corolla campanulate, trifid or quadrifld. Fod stalked, 2 -5 inches long, narrow,
Imear, fuscous, with pale, thickened margins ; valves coriaceous. Seeds numerous, hnear-oblong, rounded at botli
ends ; testa dark brown, opaque ; funiculus with a large thickened strophiolus.
This very distinct and abundant species has not been fouud in Austraha, though it is fre<iuent in the islands
of Bass’ Straits ; it is however veiy closely alUecl to the New South Wales and South-east Australian A . cuspidata,
which differs chiefly in the naiTower phyllodia.
4 . Acacia juniperina (Willd. Sp. PL iv. 1 0 4 9 ) ; fruticulus humilis, ramulis teretibus pub e scen tibus
glabratisve, stipulis subulatis, phyllodiis lineari-subulatis r igid is glabris acuminato-pungentibus nervo
prominente subtetragonis basi latiore sessilibus, pedunculis solitai-iis monocephalis phyllodiis sublongioribus,
capitulis sphæricis, bracteolis acuminatis, sepalis subliberis, legum ine (immaturo) lineari piano inter semina
sæpius CQuixacio.— B en th . in Lon d . Journ. B o t. i. 3 3 9 ; Vent. M a lm . t. 6 4 ; L o d d . B o t. Cab. 3 9 8 . A.
echiimla, B C . P ro d r . ii. 4 4 9 . {Gunn, 1 8 0 8 .)
H a b . Nea r Georgetown and W e st Head, in lig h t sandy land, Gunn.— (F I Sept.)
D i s t r i b . N ew Sou th Wales and South-eastern Australia.
A small diffuse shrub, gi-owing in patches.— DrawcAci terete, ratlier slender, pubescent or almost glabrous.
Phyllodia 4 - 3 long, rigid, linear-subulate with a pungent point, tetragonoiis, inserted by a broad base.
Peduncles generally sohtaiy, 4 inch long. Capitula spherical, many-flowered. P od (unripe only seen, and of Australian
specimens) 1 -3 inches long, more or less cm-ved, linear, narrow, shortly stalked.
5 . Acacia ovoidea (Benth. in Lond. Journ. Bot. i. 3 3 9 ) ; prostrata, glabra, ramulis gracilibus
anguhil.o-striiitis, phyllodiis divaricatis hinc inde verticillatis lineari-subulatis rigidis acuminato-pungentibus
nervo prominente subtetragonis basi non (aut v ix ima basi) angustatis, pedunculis phyllodiis brevioribus
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