R.S. Cowan & B.R. Maslin, Acacia Miscellany — 3 
215 
Habitat. Often on clay, sandy clay or gravelly clay but also on sandy or stony loam, in open areas 
in low shrub malice or tall shrubland. 
Flowering and fruiting periods. Flowering July — September (early October); legumes with mature 
seeds collected in December. 
Conservation status. 3C, using the criteria of Briggs & Leigh (1988). 
3. Acacia multilineata W. Fitzg., J. Western Australian Nat. Hist. Soc. 1:13 (1904). Type: Arrino, 
Western Australia, September 1903, W.V. Fitzgerald s.n. (holo: NSW 216915; iso: PERTH). 
Dense, rounded or obconic shrubs 1-1.7 m tall. Branchlets appresscd puberulous. New shoots 
silvery grey sericeous, arising within axil of paired peduncles at anthesis. Stipules persistent, 
minute, triangular. Phyllodes narrowly to broadly oblong-oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, acute, 
mucronate, the mucro hard and sub-pungent or pungent, base attenuate, pulvinus 1-2.5 mm long and 
appressed puberulous adaxially, blades 30-65 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, rigid-coriaceous, ascending, 
usually ± incurved to nearly straight, appressed puberulous, glabrcsceni, olive-green; nerves 
numerous, yellowish, strongly salient, inter-nerve spaces about twice as wide as nerves and with 
raised sLomata clearly evident. Gland 1-3, situated on upper margin of phyllode, the lowest in the 
basal 1/3 of phyllode. Peduncles 5-6.5 mm long, rarely to 11 mm long, 2 per axil, glabrous to 
appressed puberulous; basal peduncular bract cuculiate, caducous, appressed-pubcrulous. 
Flower-heads globular to slightly oblongoid, 4.5-6 mm diam., 25-35-flowered, rarely fewer. 
Bracteoles linear, ciliolate. Flowers 5-merous. Sepals c. 1/2 petal length, free, linear, ciliolate. 
Petals free, glabrous. Legumes linear, raised over and slightly constricted between seeds, 55-80 
mm long, 2-3 mm wide, thin-coriaceous, straight to slightly curved, appressed puberulous. Seeds 
longitudinal, oblong-elliptic, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.7-2 mm wide, glossy brown; pleurogram small, c. 
0.8 mm long, U-shapcd, somewhat raised, paler coloured than rest of seed; aril and funicle yellow, 
apical, 2/3 as long as seed. 
Other specimens examined. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: On Mullewa road, l.B. Armitage 276 
(PERTH); half-way between Pindar and Mullewa, AM. Ashby 1571 (PERTH); east ot Yuna on 
Tenindewa road, AM. Ashby45\5 (PERTH), 4516 (CANB, PERTH) and 4645 (PERTH); 4 mi [6.4 
km] W of Mullewa, AM. Ashby 4646 (PERTH); Dartmoor turnoff on road from Yuna to 
Tenindewa, G. Phillips GP42 (PERTH); 12.8 km E of Mullewa towards Yalgoo, B.R. Maslin 3637 
(K, MEL, PERTH); 13 km E of Mullewa towards Yalgoo, B.R. Maslin 5077 (PERTH). 
Distribution. South-west Western Australia in Irwin and Avon Botanical Districts (1:250,000 maps 
H50-l,2,6). Known only from a few localities between Yuna and Arrino.; the type collection was 
made in the vicinity of Arrino which is considerably south and west ol most of the other collection 
localities. 
Habitat. On sandplains or on rocky clay. 
Flowering and fruiting periods. Flowering June— August; mature legumes with seeds in November 
and December. 
Affinities. Related to the widespread, variable A. lineolala , the taxonomy of which is currently 
under review; A. multilineata is most readily distinguished by the straight, rather than recurved, 
apex of its strongly incurved phyllodes. It is not inconceivable that the two species will in the final 
analysis prove to be best treated as infraspecific taxa of one species. 
Conservation status. 2K, using criteria of Briggs & Leigh (1988). 
