Acacia pennata subsp. kerrii

Family

Mimosaceae

Botanical Name

Acacia pennata subsp. kerrii I.C.Nielsen

Nielsen, I.C. (1980) Adansonia, ser 2 19: 353. Type: S E Asia.

Synonyms

Acacia tomentilla Zipp. ex Span., Linnaea 15: 199(1841), Type: ?. Senegalia sp. Bamaga, Climbing Plants of Australia 2nd Ed.: 333(1988), Type: ?.

Common name

Climbing Wattle; Wattle, Climbing

Stem

Vine stem diameters to 10 cm recorded.

Leaves

Leaves bipinnate with a large number of very small leaflets. Leaflet blades about 3-6 x 0.5-1 mm, leaflet stalks very short, about 0.1-0.2 mm long or absent. Lateral veins difficult to distinguish on fresh material. One comparatively large saucer-like gland visible on the upper surface of the compound leaf petiole about 10 mm from its junction with the twig. Stipules triangular, about 3-4 mm long, caducous. The whole plant very spiny with numerous recurved spines. Compound leaf rhachis with recurved spines on the underside, leafy twigs and stems armed with recurved spines. Tendrils spiny, formed from modified branches.

Flowers

Inflorescence a raceme of pom-pom-like heads. Each head about 9-10 mm diam. at anthesis. At anthesis flowers emit a strong perfume resembling that of fermenting fruit. Individual flowers about 1.2 mm diam. Calyx tube about 1 mm long, lobes about 0.9 mm long, hairy only at the apex. Petals about 2.2 mm long, fimbriate at the apex. Stamens numerous, filaments about 4 mm long. Ovary hairy, stalked. Style thicker than the staminal filaments but of similar length. Ovules about 20.

Fruit

Pods flat, about 12-15 x 2-3 cm. Seeds 10-12 per pod, each seed flat, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, about 10-11 x 6-7 mm. Funicle thin. Cotyledons about 10 x 6 mm, each cotyledon lobed at the base. Radicle about 2.5 mm long.

Seedlings

At the tenth leaf stage: leaf bipinnate with four pairs of secondary axes attached to the main compound leaf axis. Each secondary axis has 11-22 pairs of leaflets attached. Leaflet blades oblong, about 9 x 2 mm, apex obtuse to shortly acuminate, base truncate, obtuse and oblique. Midrib closer to one margin, not in the middle of the leaflet. Stipules lanceolate, about 4-5 mm long, longitudinally veined.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP. Known only from a few collections in the Bamaga area. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 100 m. Also occurs in India, Burma, Indochina and Malesia.

Natural History

This species will be transferred to the genus Senegalia when the nomenclatural combination is made.

CYP

X

Vine

X

RFK Code

2186