Flora of Australia Online
Albizia canescens Benth., Fl. Austral. 2: 423 (1864)
T: Fitzroy and Bowen Rivers, [Qld], [E.M.]Bowman ; lecto: K, fide R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 11: 11 (1996); isolecto: MEL 594743; Burdekin R., [Qld], F.Mueller ; syn: K.
Albizia plurijuga Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 274 (1921). T: near Chillagoe, Qld, Feb. 1910, K.Domin 5416 (PR); lecto: PR, fide R.S.Cowan, Nuytsia 11: 12 (1996); loc. id. , K.Domin 5415, 5417 ; syn: PR.
Illustration: F.Mueller, Iconogr. Austral. Acacia 13: [pl.] 6 (1888).
Tree 3–10 m tall; bark deeply furrowed, becoming corky. Leaves appressed-puberulous; main axis with raised glands below basal pinnae of some leaves, between some pairs of pinnae and between some leaflet pairs; pinnae 2–3-jugate; leaflets (3–) 5–9-jugate, ±inequilaterally elliptic to oval or oblong, rounded or truncate and minutely mucronate, rarely acute, 2–5 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide; upper and lower surfaces concolorous. Inflorescence terminal and in uppermost leaf axils, to 13 cm long, puberulous or appressed-puberulous; peduncles fasciculate, 8–14 mm long, bearing 4–7 flowers. Flowers sessile, ±white, appressed-puberulous; calyx 1.5–2.5 mm long; corolla 4.5–6 mm long. Pod oblong, flat, to 29 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, stiffly chartaceous, glabrous. Seeds ±oval, flat, 8.5–11.5 mm long, 7.5–10 mm wide, tan or khaki-coloured, ±glossy. Fig. 37A–F.
Endemic in Australia, occurring near Beagle Bay (c. 120 km NNE of Broome), W.A., east to the Mataranka area (c. 100 km SE of Katherine) and on Melville Is. and Elcho Is., N.T., and in Qld from the Mitchell River south-east to Rockhampton and inland as far as Basalt Wall (c. 15 km NE of Hughenden). Grows in heavy clay soil with limestone outcrops, clay-loam, red pindan soil and sand in open eucalypt forest, often with Eucalyptus miniata , sometimes along streams. Map 29.
W.A.: ‘18 Mile Gully’, 26 km SSW of Beagle Bay community and 7.5 km NNW of Country Downs, Dampier Penin., J.B.Martin 219 (PERTH). N.T.: Melville Is., Yapilika Jump-up, C.R.Dunlop 6901 & R.Fensham (BRI, CANB, DNA, MEL, NSW); Stuart Hwy, 8 km NW of Katherine, M.Lazarides 6984 (BRI, CANB, DNA, MEL, PERTH). Qld: c. 6 km E of Gogongo at Sebastopol Ck., E.R.Anderson 3634 (MEL); Mitchell R., E.Palmer (MEL 594751).
The regularly appressed-puberulous leaves and inflorescences, as well as the shape and the concolorous condition of their leaflets, are distinguishing characteristics separating this species from the otherwise similar A. procera .
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volumes 11A (2001), 11B (2001) and 12 (1998), products of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia