A REAPPRAISAL OF ACACIA-COWLEANA AND ALLIED TAXA, INCLUDING THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES, ACACIA-ELACHANTHA, FROM THE TROPICAL DRY-ZONEOF AUSTRALIA

The taxonomy of Acacia cowleana Tate is reviewed. In the past this nam e had been applied to a broadly circumscribed entity which is now trea ted as two species, A. cowleana sensu typico and A. elachantha M.W. Mc Donald & Maslin, sp. nov. Full botanical descriptions, illustrations a nd distribution maps are given. Acacia oligophleba Pedley is treated a s conspecific with A. cowleana. A lectotype is selected for A. cowlean a. Acacia cowleana and A. elachantha along with A. colei Maslin & L. T homson, A. leptocarpa A. Cunn. ex Benth., A. longispicata Benth., A. t homsonii Maslin & M.W.McDonald and an undescribed species from Wetar, Indonesia, constitute the informal A. cowleana group. The main disting uishing characters for the six described species in the group are give n.