Acacia diminuta

Acacia diminuta
Conservation status
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
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. diminuta
Binomial name
Acacia diminuta Maslin [1]

Habit in Lake Magenta Nature Reserve

Acacia diminuta is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area of southern Western Australia. It is an intricately branched, spreading shrub with sharply pointed branchlets, more or less linear to oblong phyllodes, spherical heads of cream-coloured or yellow flowers and oblong to elliptic pods.

Description

Acacia diminuta is an intricately branched, spreading, glabrous shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 20 cm (7.9 in) and has light grey, sharply pointed branchlets. Its phyllodes are sometimes grouped on knotty branchlets, more or less linear to oblong, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and 0.7–1 mm (0.028–0.039 in) wide with a point near the end. There is sometimes a gland on the upper edge near the middle of the phyllode. The flowers are borne in a spherical head in axils on a peduncle 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long, each head about 2 mm (0.079 in) in diameter with about 15 cream-coloured or yellow flowers. Flowering has been recorded in October and November, and the immature pods are up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide and slightly constricted between the seeds. The immature seeds are oblong to elliptic, up to 5 mm (0.20 in) and dull brown. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Taxonomy

Acacia diminuta was first formally described in 1999 by Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Alex George west of Ravensthorpe in 1965. ^{[2] [7]} The specific epithet (diminuta) means 'made small' or 'diminished', referring to the small size of the plant, its phyllodes, flowers and heads. ^[2]

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle is only known form a few scattered polaces between Jerramungup and Scaddan where it grows in sand clay in scrub mallee in the Mallee bioregion of southern Western Australia. ^{[2] [6]}

Conservation status

Acacia diminuta is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[6] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations that are potentially at risk. ^[8]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. "Acacia diminuta". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
2. 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): 342–343. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
3. Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia diminuta". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
4. "Acacia diminuta". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
5. "Acacia diminuta". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
6. "Acacia diminuta". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
7. "Acacia diminuta". APNI. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 8 October 2025.