1 | Leaves of mature plants bipinnate |
1' | Leaves apparently simple, being modified to phyllodes by flattening of petiole and rachis |
2 | Stipules spinescent |
2' | Stipules not spinescent |
3 | Flowers in spikes. Pod slightly winged along the dorsal suture (Australia: Queensland, Northern Territory) |
3' | Flowers in glomerules |
4 | Involucel of bracts just below the glomerule and usually hidden by the lower flowers. Pods ± circular in transverse section |
4' | Involucel of bracts at or below the middle of the peduncle. Pods flattened. |
5 | Leaflets with lateral veins invisible |
5' | Leaflets with prominulous lateral veins beneath. Flowering glomerules light yellow to cream |
6 | Young branches finely pubescent, glabrescent. Flowering glomerules bright yellow. Pods ± moniliform (India) |
6' | Young branches densely yellow pubescent. Flowering glomerules yellowish white. Pods linear-falcate, not constricted between the seeds |
7 | Internodes armed with prickles |
7' | Internodes unarmed |
8 | Prickles paired, just below the stipules (India) |
8' | Prickles in five rows along the internodes |
9 | Flowers in spikes. Stems ferrugineously hispid |
9' | Flowers in pedunculate glomerules. Stems not hispid |
10 | Main vein of leaflets starting and running at or about the middle of the leaflet |
10' | Main vein of leaflets starting at or about the margin, up to ¼ of the width of the leaflet at the acroscopic side |
11 | Lateral veins of leaflets forming a reticulate pattern beneath, i.e. at least with distinct anastomoses close to the basiscopic margin (but see 9. A. megaladena) |
11' | Lateral veins of leaflets not forming a reticulate pattern beneath |
12 | Leaflets membranous, usually with a wrinkled appearance when dry. Pod fleshy or fleshy-chartaceous, usually with wrinkled surfaces, breaking in one-seeded segments, or splitting along both sutures but then the valves held together by the internal septae |
12' | Leaflets chartaceous, without a wrinkled appearance when dry. Pods chartaceous, not segmented internally |
13 | Petiolar gland at or slightly above or below the middle of the petiole |
13' | Petiolar gland just above the basal pulvinus |
14 | Young stems often with a bluish waxy bloom. Lateral veins of leaflets usually distinctly reticulate. Pod 3.4-5 cm wide with prominulous veins across the seeds |
14' | Young stems without a bluish waxy bloom. Lateral veins of leaflets usually not reticulate, rarely anastomosing close to the basiscopic margin. Pod 2.1-2.7 cm wide, with inconspicuous veins |
15 | Leaflets shortly petiolulate; petiolules 0.2-0.4 mm; main vein starting at about ¼ of the width of the leaflet at the acroscopic margin and running ± parallel to the acroscopic margin |
15' | Leaflets sessile; main vein starting at the acroscopic margin, but not running parallel to the acroscopic margin |
16 | Ultimate parts of branches densely red-brown glandular puberulous with distinct alternating light brown and dark brown lines. Calyx narrowly campanulate, 1.6-2 mm long, eglandular. Stamens 2.8-3.5 mm |
16' | Ultimate parts of branches with yellowish glandular hairs, without distinct longitudinal lines. Calyx broadly cup-shaped to campanulate, 2-2,3 mm, with light-yellowish glands. Stamens 6.5 mm |
17 | Petiolar and rachis glands stipitate or obconical; rachis glands numerous, usually at the junction of all pairs of pinnae, occasionally absent at the proximal 2 pairs. |
17' | Petiolar and rachis glands sessile, circular-elliptic, patelliform, or saddle-shaped; rachis glands not numerous, usually present at the junction of the 1-5 distal pairs of pinnae only |
18 | Young branches with a dense cover of blackish glandular hairs. Main vein of leaflets running diagonally. Glomerules of flowers 7-8 mm in diameter; floral bracts lance- olate-spathulate. Pod chartaceous, continuous within, gradually narrowing into the stalk |
18' | Young branches with a ± dense cover of reddish glandular hairs. Main vein of leaflets running parallel to the acroscopic margin for at least ¼ of its length. Floral bracts ovate-oblong to obovate-oblong, or oblong-spathulate. Pod, where known, thinly woody, discontinuous within, seeds each in a separate compartment, abruptly narrowed into the stalk |
19 | Ultimate parts of branches without or with very few scattered non-glandular hairs. Glomerules of flowers c. 10-11 mm in diameter. |
19' | Ultimate parts of branches patently puberulous, setose or shortly fulvous tomentose to velutinous by non-glandular hairs |
20 | Ultimate parts of branches shortly fulvous tomentose to velutinous and with scattered, sessile, glandular hairs. Glomerules (7-)9-10 mm in diameter |
20' | Ultimate parts of branches patently puberulous to setose and with a dense cover of reddish, sessile, glandular hairs |
21 | Stipules triangular, acute, c. 0.5-0.8 by 0.3-0.7 mm. Pinnae with up to 40 pairs of leaflets; leaflets angled to auriculate at the base, apex bent acroscopically. Glomerules c. 6 mm in diameter; calyx dotted by minute glands |
21' | Stipules ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate-falcate, c. 1.2-3 by 0.4-0.7 mm. Pinnae with up to 63 pairs of leaflets; leaflets asymmetrically truncate at the base, apex more or less straight. Glomerules 6.5-7.5 mm in diameter; calyx eglandular |
22 | Petiolar gland at or above the middle of the petiole |
22' | Petiolar gland well below the middle of the petiole, usually placed in the lower fifth just above the basal pulvinus |
23 | Leaflets 1-1.5 mm wide, lateral veins prominuous to raised |
23' | Leaflets 0.3-0.8 mm wide, lateral veins prominuous to inconspicuous |
24 | Apex of leaflets obtuse; lateral veins visible but hardly raised. Ovary glabrous. Pod with a narrow wing |
24' | Apex of leaflets acute; lateral veins invisible to hardly visible. Ovary villous. Pod unwinged |
25 | Leaf-rachis and pinnae without extrafloral nectaries. Flowers pedicellate (W Indies) |
25' | Leaf-rachis with extrafloral nectaries. Flowers sessile (Australia) |
26 | Pinnae usually (5-)7-20 pairs; leaflets 20-50 pairs per pinna in well-developed leaves (if overlapping then keyed under both leads) |
26' | Pinnae number variable; if pinnae 3-5 pairs, then leaflets 15-20 pairs per pinna |
27 | Branchlets acutely angular, glabrous; leaflets widely spaced, 5-10 mm (Australia: New South Wales, Victoria) |
27' | Branchlets not acute angular, puberulous; leaflets crowded, 2-4 mm |
28 | Pinnae 6-10 pairs; leaflets 18-30 pairs per pinna; puberulous on both surfaces (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
28' | Pinnae 7-20 pairs; leaflets 20-50 pairs per pinna, usually glabrous above. |
29 | Glands present between the rachis nodes; leaflets 1.8-2.2(-2.5) mm, apex rounded. Pod c. 6 mm wide, puberulous, glabrescent, not glaucous (Australia: New South Wales, Victoria) |
29' | Leaf-rachis internodes eglandular; leaflets (2-)2.6-3.5 mm, apex often subacute. Pod 7-9(-12) mm wide, glabrous, usually glaucous (Australia: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania) |
30 | Larger leaflets 20-50 mm long (Australia: New South Wales) |
30' | Leaflets all or for the greater part shorter than 20 mm |
31 | Glands present between the rachis nodes; leaf-rachis with appressed indumentum (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
31' | Leaf-rachis internodes eglandular; leaf rachises either with patent indumentum or glabrous |
32 | Branchlets and leaf-rachises with patent indumentum (glabrescent in the Australian species A. spectabilis A. Cunn. ex Benth.) |
32' | Branchlets and leaf-rachises glabrous |
33 | Leaflets 12-15 pairs per pinna (Australia: New South Wales) |
33' | Leaflets 4-6(-10) pairs per pinna |
34 | Pinnae 2-3(-4) pairs; rachis 0.4-1.5 cm long; leaflets 4-8 by (1.5-)2-3 mm (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
34' | Pinnae 3-5(-7) pairs; rachis 2-7(-9.5) cm long; leaflets 6—11(—13) by 2.5-5 mm (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
35 | Leaflets 10-15 pairs per pinna |
35' | Leaflets 4-6(-10) pairs per pinna |
36 | Leaves subsessile; leaflets 3-8 mm. Pod 0.9-1.2 cm wide (Australia: New South Wales) |
36' | Leaves petioled; leaflets 9-17 mm. Pod 0.7 cm wide (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
37 | Pinnae 2-3(-4) pairs; rachis 0.4-1.5 cm long; leaflets 4-8 by (1.5-)2-3 mm (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales) |
37' | Pinnae 3-5(-7) pairs; rachis 2-7(-9.5) cm long; leaflets 6—11(—13) by 2.5-5 mm (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales). |
38 | Flowers in spikes |
38' | Flowers in glomerules |
39 | Phyllodes completely covered with appressed silvery grey pubescence (Australia: Queensland) |
39' | Phyllodes without silvery grey pubescence |
40 | Flowers all or for the greater part tetramerous. Pods linear, straight to curved, 0.3-0.6 cm wide |
40' | Flowers pentamerous |
41 | Foliar gland not prominent. Phyllodes straight, 5-10 by (0.2-)0.4-l cm. Spikes sparsiflorous. Pod c. 13 by 0.3 cm (Australia: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria) |
41' | Foliar gland prominent. Phyllodes variable, 4-16 by 0.3-2.5 cm. Spikes loose and interrupted. Pod 2.5-15 by 0.3-2.5 cm (Australia: extratropical areas of E Australia, Tasmania) |
42 | Phyllodes without anastomosing secondary longitudinal veins |
42' | Phyllodes at least with a few anastomosing secondary longitudinal veins |
43 | Spikes sessile with hirsute rachis. Pods papery, c. 1 cm wide |
43' | Spikes shortly pediculate, not hirsute. Pods coriaceous to woody |
44 | Pulvinus (4-)5-20 mm long; phyllodes with yellowish veins and margin. Pods woody, obovoid-oblong, with transverse but hardly reticulate veins, 5 by 2-3.5 cm |
44' | Pulvinus 4-7 mm long; phyllodes without yellowish veins and margins. Pods coriaceous to subwoody, with transverse anastomosing veins, oblong, 8 by (l-)2 cm |
45 | Spikes on peduncles 0.5-1 cm long. Phyllodes 9-22 times as long as wide |
45' | Spikes on peduncles up to 0.5 cm long. Phyllodes often less than 20 times as long as wide |
46 | Branchlets with indumentum of appressed hairs (Australia: Queensland) |
46' | Branchlets scurfy or glabrous |
47 | Branchlets stout and acutely angular. Phyllodes with 3-5 prominent longitudinal veins running from the base, and with secondary veins forming a fine reticulum. Pods linear, coiled and turgid. Flowers rusty, cream, greenish, or pale yellow |
47' | Branchlets slender, not acutely angular. Flowers, where known, bright golden yellow |
48 | Secondary veins of phyllodes forming a delicate reticulum; phyllodes rather short, 5-12 by 1.4-3.2 cm |
48' | Secondary veins with spaced anastomoses; phyllodes longer, 10-21(-26) by 1-2.6(-3) cm |
49 | Pods contorted with transversely placed seeds. Pulvinus 4-6 mm long; phyllodes with 3 or 4, not yellowish, longitudinal veins. Spikes somewhat interrupted |
49' | Pods linear, somewhat coiled, with longitudinal placed seeds. Pulvinus (3-)5-10 mm long; phyllodes with 3 yellowish, longitudinal veins. Spikes moderately dense |
50 | Phyllodes flat with one longitudinal vein, occasionally with a second longitudinal vein developed (Australia) |
50' | Phyllodes flat, with three or more longitudinal main veins |
51 | Glomerules axillary, arranged in very short racemes, less than 15 mm long, before development never enclosed by imbricate scarious bracts. Phyllodes with one longitudinal main vein and along this a much weaker and shorter vein (Australia) |
51' | Glomerules arranged in racemes or panicles; if glomerules less than 15 mm long, then enclosed by imbricate bracts before development. Phyllodes with a single main vein |
52 | Phyllodes less than 3 times as long as wide, with an apical point |
52' | Phyllodes more than 3 times as long as wide |
53 | Branchlets patently grey-hairy. Phyllodes elliptic, slightly lop-sided, the larger ones 2.5-5 by 1-2.5 cm, conspicuously glaucous on both surfaces, grey-hairy (Australia) |
53' | Branchlets glabrous. Phyllodes deltoid or semi-orbicular, very unequal-sided, broader on the distal side, glabrous; 0.8-2.5 by 0.5-2 cm (Australia) |
54 | Phyllodes all or nearly all less than 1.3 cm wide; branchlets conspicuously angular |
54' | Phyllodes 1.3-3 cm wide |
55 | Larger phyllodes longer than 5 cm |
55' | Larger phyllodes 2-4 by 0.2-0.3 cm (Australia) |
56 | Branchlets much flattened at the top, angular downwards. Glomerules with less than 15 flowers; racemes 1-2 cm long, enclosed by rather large, striate bracts (Australia) |
56' | Branchlets trigonous at the apex, the older ones ribbed. Glomerules 30-50-flowered; racemes 1.5-5 cm long, without bracts (Australia) |
57 | Branchlets at the top angularly ribbed. Phyllodes straight to slightly curved, 8-12 by 0.7-0.8 cm. Glomerules 20-30-flowered, less than 1 cm in diameter (Australia) |
57' | Branchlets subterete. Phyllodes lanceolate-falcate, with apex obtuse, 7.5-15 cm long. Glomerules 50-100-flowered, more than 1 cm in diameter (Australia) |