Acacia spectabilis A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Shrub or tree to 6 m. Branchlets terete or with indistinct ridges, with short hairs or glabrous; young shoots pale, glabrous or shortly pubescent, rarely glaucous-purple. Leaves bipinnate, blue-green and glaucous, 2–8 cm long; pinnae 2–6(–7) pairs, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm long, narrowing towards the base; pinnules (2–)4–8 pairs, narrowly obovate or oblong, 0.7–1.6 × 0.2–0.7 cm, glabrous, with two to three obscure veins, apex rounded or emarginate; petiole distinct, 0.5–1.2 cm long, terete, often with a gland at its apex, glabrous or hairy; rachis glabrous or hairy, usually without glands. Inflorescence elongated axillary racemes, or terminal/axillary panicles; heads globular with 12–20 light golden flowers. Flowers densely packed, 5-merous, petals glaucous, stamens numerous. Legume straight-sided, 4–10(–17) × 1–1.5 cm, thin and leathery, purplish- or blue-brown and glaucous. Flowering July to November, fruiting November to June (Australia). Chapman et al. 2001a, 2001b, Kodela & Harden 2001. Distribution AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Queensland. Habitat Open forest, scrub or heath with well-drained soils. Often associated with Callitris spp. USDA Hardiness Zone 9–10. Conservation status Not evaluated. Illustration NT62, NT68.