Acacia pendula (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales: Cunningham’s Collection from April 1825 and its Implications

Previous debate on the status of Acacia pendula A.Cunn. (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in the natural flora of the Hunter region of New South Wales remains unresolved. However, the discovery of a journal entry and a specimen of Acacia pendula collected from ‘Hunter’s River’ by Allan Cunningham in April 1825 potentially provide evidence for its long-term presence there. Close examination of a scan of this specimen reveals a poor match to the lectotype for this species, and its infertile nature means that it cannot be positively identified using taxonomic keys. Rediscovery of a small group of Acacia ‘pendula’ plants near to where Cunningham travelled in 1825 confirms the sterile and root-suckering habit of the species which is consistent with those growing elsewhere in the region. Despite this find, Cunningham’s journal entry and collection provide no confirmation that Acacia pendula naturally occurred extensively in the region (although it may have been very rare) but could suggest either that he had located one of the first introduced stands of the species in the region (through indigenous people or European settlers), or that these sterile root-suckering plants represent a currently un-named taxon or un-recognised hybrid. Final resolution of Hunter Valley populations of Acacia pendula s. lat. may only be attained through genetic studies.