51 
No. 125. 
Acacia harpopliylla, F.v.M. 
The Brigalow. 
(Family LEGUMINOS^: MIMOSEAE.) 
Botanical description. —Genus, Acacia. (?ee Part XV, p. 103.) 
Botanical description. —Species, A. harpophylla, P.v.M., in Bentliam’s “Plora 
Australiensis ” ii, 359 (1861). 
Probably a tree, glabrous or the young shoots minutely hoary; branchlets slightly angular. 
Phyllodia falcate-lanceolate, mostly 6 to 8 inches long, narrowed but obtuse at the end, much 
narrowed at the base, coriaceous, pale or glaucous, with several not very prominent nerves, 
and scarcely veined between them. 
Peduncles slender, J to f- inch long, clustered or rarely in a very short raceme, bearing each a 
small globular head of about 12 to 15, mostly 5-merous, flowers. 
Sepals spathulate, not half as long as the corolla, free or slightly connected below the middle. 
Petals smooth, free. 
Pod unknown. (B.F1. ii, 389.) 
The fruits, unknown to Beutliam, but later on seen by Mueller and figured 
in his “Iconography of Australian Acacias” though not described by him, are 
referred to under “ Bruits.” 
Botanical Name.— Acacia, already explained (see Part XV, p. 10 1 ) ; 
harpophylla, from two Greek words ( h)arpe , a scimitar, and phu{y)llon, leaf, in 
allusion to the curved, scimitar-shaped leaves. 
Vernacular Name. —The common “ Brigalow,” so called because it forms 
the scrubs of that name; the meaning of the word is unknown. 
It is a thoroughly well recognised vernacular name, but because I imagine it 
is of aboriginal origin, a note will be found under “ Aboriginal Names.” 
Aboriginal Names. —The common “ Brigalow.” The word was spelt 
“ Brigaloe” hy Gould, and “ Bricklow ” by Leichhardt. The latter stated he could 
not ascertain the meaning of the name. “ Orkor ” of some aborigines. (W. Hill in 
Cat. Queensland Timbers, No. 141, London International Exhibition, 1862.) Ilill 
gave the botanical name as A. excelsa, but it is obvious, from his description, that 
this is a slip of the pen for A. harpopliylla. The mistake is, however, of some 
importance since it is repeated in the “ Treasury of Botany ” and other works. 
B 
