51 



ACACIA DEALBATA. 



( Whitened Acacia.') 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



POLYGAMIA MONCECIA. °' LEGCJMINOSjE, TRIBE MIMOS.E. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Acacia. (Neck.) Flores polygami. Calyx 4-5, dentatus. Petala 4-5, nunc libera nunc 

 in corollam 4-5 fidam coalita. Stamina numero varia 10-200. Legumen continuum exsuccum 

 bivalve. Frutices aut arbores, habitu et foliatione valde varise. Spina stipulares, sparsaj aut 

 nullse. Flores flavi, albi aut rarius rubri, capitati aut spicati, decandri aut polyandri, eleuthe- 

 randri aut monadelphi, petalis 4-5 liberis coalitisve constantes. — {Lecand. Prod. vol. ii. p. 448. 



Flowers polygamous. Calyx from 4 to 5 toothed. Petals 4 or 5, sometimes free, sometimes 

 joined into a four or five divided corolla. Stamens varying from 10 to 200. Legume continuous, 

 juiceless, and two-valved.- Shrubs or trees both in habit and foliation very various. Spines 

 either stipulary, scattered, or none. Flowers yellow, white, or rarely red, capitate or spiked, 

 decandrous, or polyandrous, free or united, petals 4 or 5, free or joined. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 

 A. dealbata : inermis, ramis subangulatis petioliscpie pube brevissima subvelutinis, pinnis 

 15-25 jagis; foliolis 30-35 jugis linearibus confertissimis pubescentibus, glandula fere inter 

 omnes pinnas ; capitulis pedicellatis secus pedunculum axillarem racemosis. 



Without prickles ; branches somewhat angular, and together with the petioles covered with 

 very short somewhat velvety hair ; pinnce from 15 to 25 pairs ; leaflets from 30 to 35 pairs, 

 linear, crowded together and pubescent, having a gland for the most part between the pinna? ; 

 heads pedicellate or racemose. 



Acacia dealbata. — Link. Enum. p. 445. 

 ' Descr.— Stem about twelve feet high, glaucous, smooth, and beautifully marked with large 

 brown anastomosing veins, naked below, branched above. Branches about one foot long, covered 

 with a delicate soft white velvety down. Leaves alternate, about four inches long, petiole and 

 petiolulse covered with the same velvety down as the branches, and having at the base a little 

 fleshy enlargement. Pinnce about twenty-five pairs, pubescent ; at the base of each is an urceo- 

 late gland which secretes a sweet honey-like juice. Leaflets on the pinna? about thirty pairs, 

 linear, more or less obtuse. Flowers axillary and terminal, deposited in globular heads, peduncles 

 and pedicels covered with the same velvety down as the petioles. Bracts thick, woolly, of various 

 lengths. Sepals brownish at the margin, pubescent. Petals ovate, acute. Stamens numerous, 

 smooth, articulated in a similar manner to those of the genus Tradescantia. Anthers roundish, 

 two-celled. Legume. (?) Seeds. (?) 



This is unquestionably the most beautiful of all the Acacias which have yet 

 come under our observation. Its panicle of inflorescence is about two feet long, 



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