Common name: alpine wattle
Acacia alpina F.Muell. APNI*
Synonyms: Acacia longifolia var. alpina (F.Muell.) F.Muell. APNI*
Racosperma alpinum (F.Muell.) Pedley APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading shrub mostly 0.5–1 m high; branchlets angled or flattened towards apices, glabrous.
Phyllodes obovate to broadly obovate or rarely broadly elliptic, often slightly asymmetric, ± straight, mostly 1.5–3.5 cm long and 10–25 mm wide (sometimes to 4.5 cm long and 27 mm wide), often subglaucous, glabrous, 2–4 longitudinal veins prominent, minor veins closely reticulate, apex obtuse sometimes with a mucro; 1 inconspicuous gland 1–8 mm above pulvinus; pulvinus 1–3 mm long.
Inflorescences 1 or 2 in axil of phyllodes; peduncles to 2 mm long, glabrous; heads ± ovoid or short-cylindrical, 0.5–1 cm long, usually pale yellow but sometimes brighter yellow.
Pods straight to curved, ± terete, slightly constricted between seeds, 3–8 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, thinly leathery or firmly papery and brittle when dry, longitudinally wrinkled when dry, glabrous, often ± pruinose; seeds longitudinal; funicle short, folded and expanded towards seed into a large aril.
Distribution and occurrence: south of Canberra.
Grows in Snowgum communities and heath, on granite.
NSW subdivisions: ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
The name is derived from Latin 'alpinis' (of the alps), refering to the habitat range from high montane to subalpine zones for the species.
Text by P.G. Kodela (August 2005)
Taxon concept: P.G. Kodela & G.J. Harden, Flora of NSW Vol. 2 (2002)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
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