Acacia neovernicosa Isely

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily. Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (1): 1-152.

  • Family

    Mimosaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Acacia neovernicosa Isely

  • Description

    Species Description - Spiny, glabrous (rarely with inevident puberulence) shrubs, .5-4 m, often tall and narrow with exserted stems or branches. Leaves mostly from spurs, 1-4 (-5) per cluster, bipinnate; leafstalk .3-1.5 cm, bearing glands between (or adjacent to) some (usually lowermost) or all of pinnae pairs; pinnae 1-2(-3) short, to 1.5 cm; leaflets 5-10 pairs, contiguous, ovate, 1-2 (-3) mm long, thick, often glutinous. Spines stipular, paired, usually white, .5-2 cm or infrequently absent. Flowers in fragrant, bright-yellow heads .6-9 cm diam on bracteate peduncles 1-3 from leaf spurs. Legume short-stipitate, linear, straight or curved, 4-8 (-12) cm long, ca 4 mm wide, ultimately dehiscent; valves reddish, becoming brown, coriaceous, constricted between the seeds at maturity.

  • Discussion

    Acacia vernicosa Standi. Acaciopsis vernicosa (Standi.) Britt. & Rose Acacia constricta var. vernicosa (Standi.) L. Benson CN 2n = 26 (Turner, 1959; Turner & Fearing, 1960a ; as A. vernicosa). I have previously discussed the delimitation of A. neovernicosa (Isely, 1969) and in this paper have contrasted it with A. constricta under the latter.

  • Distribution

    W Texas and adjacent New Mexico, slightly in se Arizona. Desert plains, washes, stream-beds, canyons, rocky, calcareous hills; with juniper and (or) Larrea, Yucca-Fouquieria; locally codominant. Ca 3000-5000 ft. April-Aug.

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