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narrowly oblong or oblong-elliptic, 0.7-3 (-4) mm long, (0.4-) 0.5-0.6 (-0.7) mm wide, 
silvery-puberulous, the upper surface sometimes ± glabrous, the apex obtuse or 
subacute. Inflorescences in axillary and/or terminal racemes and panicles; axes often 
slightly zig-zagged, hairy; peduncles 1.5-4 (-5) mm long, hairy; bract at base of 
peduncles ovate to broadly ovate, brown, ciliolate, puberulous (sometimes only at 
base). Capitula yellow to bright yellow, 13-34-flowered, 3-8 mm diam. (when dried); 
bracteoles dark brown, ± peltate or spathulate, lamina ciliolate and often with minute 
white hairs on upper surface, claw glabrous or with a row(s) of white hairs. Flowers 
5-merous; calyx cupular, 0.6-1.2 mm long, dissected to c. V 5 its length, sepals white- 
ciliolate and often with minute white hairs especially towards apices, tube ± glabrous 
except ribs often tomentulose especially towards the apex; corolla 1 . 1 - 1.6 mm long, 
petals acute, sometimes with a few hairs near the apex; ovary glabrous or with 
numerous white hairs in the upper half. Legumes 2-9.5 cm long, 7-12 mm wide, 
subcoriaceous, straight-sided or indented between the seeds, flat except convex over 
seeds, pruinose, glabrous. Seeds 2-10 arranged longitudinally in the legume, obloid to 
broadly obloid, 3.5-5 mm long, dark brownish black to black, dull to subglossy; areole 
open, same colour as rest of the seed; funicle cream-coloured to fawn, filiform, 
expanded into a cap-like aril. 
Phenology: flowers (July-) August to November (-December); fruits November to 
February (-April). 
Habitat: grows in sandy to clayey, often loam or stony soils, on granite, basalt, shale, 
sandstone and metamorphics, mainly in tall open forest, open forest, tall woodland 
and woodland (understorey of tall moist eucalypt forest or drier open forest, to Snow 
Gum woodlands), on mountain ridges, gentle to steep slopes, in gullies and near creeks. 
Distribution: occurs at higher altitudes (mainly above 700 m alt. but down to 300 m 
alt.) of the tablelands mainly south from the Brindabella Range-Braidwood area. New 
South Wales, to Mt Disappointment, Victoria; common in the Snowy Mountains. There 
are large stands of A. dealbata subsp. subalpina on the Tinderry Mountains (near 
Michelago), Big Badja Mountain, the Brindabella Range and Tuross River (near the 
Tuross Falls). 
Conservation status: occurs in several national parks and other reserves; presently not 
considered threatened. 
Etymology: refers to the often subalpine habitat of this subspecies. 
Chromosome counts: 2 n = 26, fide B.G. Briggs, on M. Gray & M.D. Tindale NSW64114, 
23 Jan 1964, Bulls Head, on the road to Mt Franklin, A.C.T. (B, CANB, MO, NSW, NY, 
US); 3 n = 39, fide B.G. Briggs, on M. Gray & M.D. Tindale NSW64113, 23 Jan 1964,3 miles 
[4.8 km] beyond Bulls Head on Mt Franklin road, A.C.T. (BRI, CANB, K, MEL, NSW). 
A chromosome count of 2 n = 26 has been recorded for subsp. dealbata, fide B G Briggs 
on E.F. Constable NSW107046 (NSW). 
Notes: subsp. subalpina differs from subsp. dealbata by its smaller stature, the habit 
being a small tree or shrub up to 5 m (or rarely 10 m) high, generally smaller leaves 
(1-) 1.5-8.5 cm long with shorter pinnae, and commonly brighter yellow flower-heads 
often with fewer flowers. 
Intermediates between the two subspecies are common in areas where subsp. dealbata 
occupies the lower mountain slopes and subsp. subalpina the upper slopes. This has 
been observed by M.D.T. at Mt Franklin, Australian Capital Territory, where subsp. 
dealbata occurs in groves as trees up to about 14 m high and subsp. subalpina in large 
stands as a bushy shrub or small tree to 3 m high. Some specimens from the Liverpool 
Range (e.g. Norfolk Island Ck Falls, I.R. Telford 9829 & M.D. Crisp, 26 Sep 1984; AD, 
CANB, MEL, NSW) and Barrington Tops (e.g. near Mt Polblue, H. Salasoo 1785; NSW) 
