Common name: lancewood
Acacia petraea Pedley APNI* Synonyms: Racosperma petraeum (Pedley) Pedley APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading tree 3–10 m high; bark deeply fissured, brownish grey; branchlets angled towards apices, usually glabrous or at first appressed-hairy.
Phyllodes linear to very narrowly elliptic, straight or curved, 13–26 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, glabrous, numerous fine longitudinal veins visible with midvein sometimes more prominent, apex acute with a mucro, immature phyllodes often hairy; 1 inconspicuous gland at base; pulvinus 2–4 mm long.
Inflorescences 2 on axillary axis 5–10 mm long; peduncles 10–20 mm long, hairy; heads cylindrical, 1.5–3 cm long, bright yellow.
Pods straight or slightly curved, sometimes twisted when open, ± flat except over seeds, slightly to variably more deeply constricted between seeds, 7–12 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, papery to thinly leathery, glabrous; seeds longitudinal; funicle expanded towards seed.
Flowering: winter and spring.
Distribution and occurrence: recorded from the Hungerford and Bourke-Louth districts; rare. Grows in heath to woodland on rocky ridgetops.
NSW subdivisions: NWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered
Resembles Acacia doratoxylon which generally has shorter phyllodes and glabrous to sparsely pubescent young branchlets. The name refers to the rocky habitat of 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 ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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