Common name: hickory wattle, weetjellan (D'harawal), lightwood
Acacia implexa Benth. APNI*
Synonyms: Racosperma implexum (Benth.) Pedley APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading tree 5–12 m high, often suckers freely; bark hard, smooth becoming corrugated or fissured at base, greyish or brownish; branchlets terete or rarely angled, glabrous, commonly lightly pruinose.
Phyllodes narrowly elliptic to very narrowly elliptic, subfalcate or falcate, 7–18 cm long, 6–25 mm wide, glabrous, 3–7 longitudinal veins prominent, numerous longitudinally anastomosing minor veins between, apex acute or subacute with a mucro; 1 inconspicuous gland at base; pulvinus 1–5 mm long.
Inflorescences 4–8 in an axillary raceme; axis usually 2–6 cm long; peduncles 6–13 mm long, finely hairy; heads globose, 30–50-flowered, 5–10 mm diam., pale yellow to ± white.
Pods curved to twisted or coiled, raised over seeds, barely to slightly or variably more deeply constricted between seeds, 6–20 cm long, 4–7 mm wide, firmly papery to leathery, ± smooth, glabrous, often slightly pruinose; seeds longitudinal; funicle whitish, folded below seed.
Flowering: usually December–April.
Distribution and occurrence: widespread, from coastal areas inland to the Deniliquin district.
Grows in a variety of communities.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
The name is from the Latin 'implexus' meaning entangled or entwined, refering to the pods which are folded and twisted, often forming a tangled mass. Acacia implexa is similar to Acacia melanoxylon which differs most obviously in having an orange to reddish funicle folded and ± surrounding the seed.
Text by P.G. Kodela (last edited May 2012)
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.