R.S. Cowan & B.R. Maslin, Acacia MisceLlany — 3 
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mucrone atro-brunneo crasso et obtuso, ad basem acuta, pul vino 1-1.5 mm longo, puberulo, lamina 
2-10 cm longa, 2-7 mm lata, coriacca vcl rigido-coriacea, patentia usque ad erecta, levitcr ad valdc 
incurvata, plus minusve glauca, subtiliter et uniformitcr multincrvia, nervis salientibus, leviter 
pravis, lucidis, nervo marginali luteo, promincnti, glande basali. Capitula sessilia, globularia vel 
subglobularia, 7-8 mm diametro in vivo, pedunculi bractea basalis ovata ad triangulari-ovata, 
abaxialiter puberula, (9-)15-20(-27)-floribus, bracteolis unilaterale peltatis, abaxialiter pubcrulis, 
cum pilis glandularibus rubris. Flores 5-meri. Sepala pelalis 1/2-2/3 breviora, saltern 3/4-connata, 
lobis rotundatis vel truncatis, rubro-ciliolatis. Petala discreta, glabra. Legumina lincaria, 25-65 mm 
longa, 2-4 mm lata, recta usque ad valde curvala, glabra. Semina longitudinalia, ovalia, clliplica vel 
oblongo-elliptica, 2-3.5 mm longa, 1.5-2 mm lata, nitida, maculata, plcurogramma oblonga, 0.5 mm 
longa; areola cinerca; arillus apicalis. 
Typus: 11.2 km SW of Dowerin towards Goomalling, Western Australia, 13 August 1971, 
B.R. Maslin 2015 (holo: PERTH; iso: CANB, K, MEL, NSW, NY). 
Dense, rounded, obconic, erect or semi-prostrate shrubs 0.3-2. 5 m tall, spreading 0.6-3 m diam. 
Branches often gnarled, peripheral ones horizontal, central ones erect. Bark on young branchlets 
red-brown, becoming light-grey, smooth except lightly fissured or fibrous from main branches to 
base. Branchlets appressed puberulous, glabresccnt. Phyllodes flat but blades thicker than at the 
marginal nerve, narrowly elliptic to oblanccolate-oblong, or linear to oblanceolate-linear, acute to 
obtuse to rounded-obtuse, mucronulate, mucro dark-brown, thick and blunt, base acute, pulvinus 
1-1.5 mm long, blades 2-10 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, coriaceous to rigid-coriaceous, patent to erect, 
glabrous except puberulous at least on upper surface of pulvinus, slightly to strongly incurved, 
usually subglaucous to glaucous, or only green, finely and uniformly mullinerved, nerves salient, 
not straight, occasionally anastomosing, ± shiny on surface, inter-nerve spaces about 3 limes as 
wide as nerves, marginal nerve narrow, prominent, yellow, especially towards apex. Gland one, 
situated on upper margin of phyllode at distal end of pulvinus. Flower-heads sessile, globular to 
subglobular, light- to mid-golden, 8 mm long, 7 mm diam. (fresh), subtended by a scries of 
bract-like bracteoles and the larger basal peduncular bract, this ovate to triangular-ovate, puberulous 
abaxially, ciliolate with at least some glandular, red micro-hairs, (9-)15-20(-27)-flowercd. 
Bracteoles unilaterally peltate, stipilalc, biadc oblate, ciliolate, puberulous abaxially with glandular, 
red micro-hairs. Flowers 5-mcrous. Sepals 1/3-2/3 petal length, 3/4 to completely united, lobes 
rounded or truncate, often puberulous on central nerve, ciliolate, mostly with red micro-hairs. 
Petals free, glabrous. Ovary papillale-puberulous. Legumes linear, only slightly raised over and 
weakly constricted between seeds, 25-65 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, subercct, crustosc, straight to 
weakly curved, glabrous. Seeds longitudinal, sometimes somewhat obliquely, oval to elliptic or 
oblong-elliptic, 2-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, 1.5 mm thick, glossy, mottled with small, paler 
markings on dark-tan, or darker markings on lighter background; plcurogram U-shaped, 0.5 mm 
long; areole grey; funicle/aril in two loose loops over apex of seed. 
Affinities. This wide-ranging species (Avon, Roe and Eyre Botanical Districts) has yellow marginal 
nerves on the phyllodes, a character shared with the closely related A. patagiata which has 
impressed nerves and tetramerous Bowers. 
Variation. The two varieties comprising A. mimica are most obviously different in their phyllode 
proportions. The northern, broad-phyllode form (var. mimica ) extends south and actually into the 
range of var. angusta which follows an east/west line just N of Albany to Mt Burdett, east of 
Esperance. The seed difference noted is interesting but may not be sustained by additional fruiting 
collections. 
Etymology. The specific name refers to the considerable similarity in phyllode morphology of this 
species and A. patagiata. i.e., A. mimica mimics its relative in respect to several morphological 
character states (from mimicus, latinized form of Greek mimikos , for imitative). 
