Acacia ataxiphylla

Large-fruited Tammin wattle
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Clade:	Mimosoid clade
Genus:	Acacia
Species:	A. ataxiphylla
Binomial name
Acacia ataxiphylla Benth. [2]
Acacia ataxiphylla occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium [3]
Synonyms [2]
Racosperma ataxiphyllum(Benth.) Pedley

Acacia ataxiphylla, commonly known as large-fruited Tammin wattle, ^[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with linear phyllodes, spherical to slightly oblong heads of yellow flowers, and curved, narrowly oblong pods up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long.

Description

Acacia ataxiphylla is a prostrate to spreading shrub or subshrub that typically grows to a height of 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in). Its phyllodes are linear, continuous with the branchlets but lack wings, sometimes pentagonal in cross-section, straight to curved, 15–60 mm (0.59–2.36 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and with a hooked or shallowly turned down tip. There are linear stipules 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long at the base of the phyllodes. The flowers are borne in a spherical to slightly oblong head 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) diameter in axils on a peduncle 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) long with 15 to 20 yellow flowers in each head. Flowering time varies with subspecies and the pods are narrowly oblong and curved, reddish-brown, up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Taxonomy

Acacia ataxiphylla was first formally described in 1855 by George Bentham in the journal Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde from specimens collected by James Drummond. ^{[8] [9]} The specific epithet (ataxiphylla) means 'disordered-leaved', probably referring to the "strongly hooked phyllodes, that give plant a somewhat tangled aspect". ^[10]

In 1999, Bruce Maslin described two subspecies of Acacia ataxiphylla in the journal Nuytsia , and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census: ^[7]

• Acacia ataxiphyllaBenth. subsp. ataxiphylla ^[11] has flower heads about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter, peduncles 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and 0.4 mm (0.016 in) wide, and flowers from November to December or January. ^{[7] [12] [13]}
• Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magnaMaslin ^[14] has flower heads 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) in diameter, peduncles 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 0.7–0.8 mm (0.028–0.031 in) wide, and flowers in June and July. ^{[7] [15] [12] [16]}

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle is scattered and infrequent in the Avon Wheatbelt and Jarrah Forest bioregions of south-western of Western Australia. ^[6] Subspecies ataxiphylla grows in wandoo and jarra woodland within 30 km (19 mi) north and west of Kojonup. ^[7] subspecies magna in low heath and is apparently restricted to the Tammin area. ^[7]

Conservation status

Acacia ataxiphylla is listed as "not threatened", ^[6] but subsp. ataxiphylla is listed as "Priority Three" , ^[12] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat, and subsp. magna is listed as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. ^{[6] [17]}

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. Malcolm, P. (2012). "Acacia ataxiphylla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T19891997A19997059. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T19891997A19997059.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Acacia ataxiphylla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
3. "DOI Details". doi.ala.org.au. doi:10.26197/5c0b1388984eb . Retrieved 25 July 2019.
4. Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
5. "Acacia ataxiphylla". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
6. "Acacia ataxiphylla". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
7. Maslin, Bruce R. (1999). "Acacia miscellany 16. The taxonomy of fifty-five species of Acacia, primarily Western Australian, in section Phyllodineae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)". Nuytsia. 12 (3): 323–325. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
8. "Acacia ataxiphylla". APNI. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
9. Bentham, George (1855). "Plantae Muellerianae: Mimoseae". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 26 (5): 605. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
10. George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 139. ISBN   9780958034180.
11. "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. ataxiphylla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
12. "Acacia ataxiphyllasubsp. ataxiphylla". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
13. Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. ataxiphylla". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
14. "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magna". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
15. "Acacia ataxiphyllasubsp. magna". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
16. Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ataxiphylla subsp. magna". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
17. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 2 January 2025.