Acacia latzii

A. latzii is a shrub or tree which grows to a height of 3 to 7 m (9.8 to 23.0 ft). The branchlets may be smooth or have a sparse covering of minute flat lying hairs. The phyllodes (5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) long by 2 to 4 mm (0.079 to 0.157 in) wide) are narrowly linear and generally with a shallow incurving. They are leathery and a khaki to greyish green and like the branchlets may be smooth or have a sparse covering of fine hairs. They have many closely parallel veins. The inflorescences are two to five headed racemes with the raceme axes being 1.5 to 5 mm (0.059 to 0.197 in) long. The flower stalks are 5–9 mm long and have a covering of fine hairs. The heads are globular (4 mm (0.16 in) in diameter) with 13 to 18 flowers. The flowers are 5-merous and the sepals are free. The smooth, leathery pods are up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long. The dull, brown-black, oblong seeds are 5.5 mm (0.22 in) in length.[4] It flowers from April to August and fruits from February to November.[1]

It is found growing in skeletal alkaline soil in gullies and on minor hill slopes.[4][6]

It has been declared "vulnerable" under both Commonwealth and Northern Territory legislation.[1][7] It is threatened by

• increased fire exposure associated with Buffel Grass invasion;
• seedling loss from browsing and trampling by cattle and feral herbivores;
• vulnerable to decline due its small population and its fragmented distribution;
• altered rainfall patterns (due to climate change) which may affect adult survivorship and decrease the rare recruitment events.[6]

It was first described by Bruce Maslin in 1980[2] and named A. latzii to honour Peter Latz whose "fine" collections were the basis of Maslin's descriptions.[3] An isotype, CANB 267113.1, was collected by Latz in the Beddome Range, New Crown Station, on 21 April 1977[8]