Acacia errabunda

Acacia errabunda
Conservation status
Priority Three — 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. errabunda
Binomial name
Acacia errabunda Maslin [1]
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
Racosperma errabundum (Maslin) Pedley

Acacia errabunda is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading, rather dense, glabrous shrub with lance-shaped to linear phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, spherical heads of light golden yellow flowers, and firmly papery, linear pods.

Description

Acacia errabunda is a spreading, rather dense, glaabrous shrub that typically grows to a height of 1.0–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in) and has pale yellow new shoots, veins and bracteoles. Its phyllodes are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base or linear, straight to slightly curved, usually 20–59 mm (0.79–2.32 in) long and 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) wide with one or two veins on each side. The flowers are borne in spherical heads in one or two axils, on a peduncle about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, each head with 17 to 22 light golden yellow flowers. The pods are firmly papery, linear and slightly curved, up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long and 3.5 mm (0.14 in) wide. The seeds are oblong, 4 mm (0.16 in) long, shiny dark brown with an orange-brown aril on the end. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Taxonomy

Acacia errabunda was first formally described in 1999 by the botanist Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Kenneth Newbey 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Needilup in 1975. ^{[2] [7]} The most closely related species is A. stricta . ^[5] The specific epithet (errabunda) is derived from Latin "erro" meaning 'to wander' and "bundus" indicating 'something in progress or completed', referring to the veins of the phyllodes. ^{[3] [8]}

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle grows on undulating plains and clay pans in clay, loam, gravelly loam or sand in woodland, mallee and shrubland near Broomehill, Jerramungup and Ravensthorpe in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia. ^{[3] [5] [6]}

Conservation status

Acacia errabunda is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[6] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. ^[9]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. "Acacia eremaea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 November 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): 345–347. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
3. Maslin, Bruce R. "Acacia errabunda". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
4. "Acacia errabunda". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
5. "Acacia errabunda". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
6. "Acacia errabunda". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
7. "Acacia errabunda". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
8. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. pp. 196–197. ISBN   9780645629538.
9. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 23 November 2025.