S3 
No. 204. 
Acacia Dorothea Maiden. 
Dorothy's Acacia. 
(Family LEGUMINOS^E : MIMOSyE.) 
Botanical description. Genus, Acacia. (See Part XV, p. 103.) 
Botanical description. Species, A. Dorothea Maiden, in Proc. Linn. Soc. 
N.S.W., xxvi, 12 (1901), with a plate. 
An erect shrub of several feet, with angular branches, more or less covered all over with 
appressed white hairs, occasionally rubbed off on the old leaves, very dense on the young 
shoots. 
Phyllodia linear-lanceolate, falcate, rather more than 2i inches long and 4 to 5 lines broad, rarely 
attaining J an inch in breadth, obscurely veined, except the prominent mid-vein, with 
prominently thickened margins, and frequently with a small oblique or recurved point, 
the single large marginal gland about half-way between the point and the base. 
Flower-heads oblong, about 6 to 8 on short pedicels, in stout axillary or terminal racemes much 
shorter than the leaves. 
Flowers about 20 in the heads. 
Calyx small, shortly 5-lobed, very hairy. 
Petals 5, glabrous or nearly so, more than twice as long as the calyx, united at the base. 
Ovarium densely hairy. 
Pods flat, stipitate, generally 1 to H inches long, and about J inch broad, somewhat curved, 
with thickened margins, much constricted between the seeds, densely covered with soft 
hairs, especially in the unripe state. 
Seeds longitudinally arranged, small, ovate, only 2 or 3 or solitary in the few ripe pods seen ; 
funicle folded under the seed, the last fold much thickened. (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxvi, 
12 [1901].) 
Since the publication of the description of this species in these Proceedings, xxvi, p. 12, 1901, we 
have received numerous specimens from Blue Mountain localities, which do not much enlarge the very 
limited geographical range of the species, but which necessitate the transposition of the species into the 
Section JuliflorK. The new material, especially specimens in bud from Leura (A. A. Hamilton and 
others), show distinctly that the flowers are in short spikes, ^-J inch (5-11 mm.) long, though often 
appearing globular when in full flower. 
This transposition makes the affinities of the species still more difficult to trace. There is not a 
single Acacia in Juliflorce with prominently 1-nerved phyllodia, so the species stands isolated in this 
Section. Its nearest affinities are doubtless in Umnerves, but in this Section it would stand isolated by 
its spike-like inflorescence. 
The position of this Acacia is therefore one not free from doubt. 
Bentham regarded the phyllodia characters of primary importance, and kppt a number of Acacias 
with spicate inflorescence under the Section Pungentes. Mueller regarded the spicate inflorescence as of 
more importance than the phyllodiiv, and removed Bentham's spicate Pungentes to Juliflorce. 
If we take Bentham's view, we must leave it in Uninerves. If we take Mueller's view, we must 
remove it to Juliflorce. (Maiden and Betels M Proc. Linn, Soc. N.S.W., xxxiv, 358 [1909].) 
