Acacia nilotica

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Acacia nilotica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Acacia
Species: A. nilotica
Binomial name
Acacia nilotica
(L.) Willd. ex Delile
Range of Acacia nilotica
Synonyms
  • Acacia arabica (Lam.) Willd.
  • Acacia scorpioides W.Wight
  • Mimosa arabica Lam.
  • Mimosa nilotica L.
  • Mimosa scorpioides L.[1]

Acacia nilotica (gum arabic tree,[2] Babul/Kikar, Egyptian thorn, Sant tree, Al-sant or prickly acacia;[3] called thorn mimosa or prickly acacia in Australia; lekkerruikpeul or scented thorn in South Africa) is a species of Acacia native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It is also currently an invasive species of significant concern in Australia.

The generic name of this plant derives from ακακία (akakia), the name given by early Greek botanist-physician Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40-90) to this tree as a medicinal, in his book Materia Medica.[4] This name derives from the Greek word for its characteristic thorns, ακις (akis, thorn).[5] The species name nilotica was given by Linnaeus from this tree's best-known range along the Nile river.

The plant A. nilotica then, in turn, became the type species for the Linnaean Acacia genus (not all of which have thorns, even though they are named for them). For the ongoing reclassification of this and other species historically classified under genus Acacia, see the list of Acacia species.

Contents

Description [edit]

Spring blossoms at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India

Acacia nilotica is a tree 5–20 m high with a dense spheric crown, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm (3 in) long in young trees, mature trees commonly without thorns. The leaves are bipinnate, with 3-6 pairs of pinnulae and 10-30 pairs of leaflets each, tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last pair of pinnulae. Flowers in globulous heads 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden-yellow color, set up either axillary or whorly on peduncles 2–3 cm long located at the end of the branches. Pods are strongly constricted, hairy, white-grey, thick and softly tomentose. Its seeds number approximately 8000/kg.[6]

Distribution [edit]

Trunk at Hodal in Faridabad District of Haryana, India

Acacia nilotica is native from Egypt, across the Maghreb and Sahel, south to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and east through Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan, India and Burma.[7]

It has become widely naturalised outside its native range including Zanzibar and Australia. Acacia nilotica is spread by livestock.[7]

Uses [edit]

Forage and fodder [edit]

In part of its range smallstock consume the pods and leaves, but elsewhere it is also very popular with cattle. Pods are used as a supplement to poultry rations in India. Dried pods are particularly sought out by animals on rangelands. In India branches are commonly lopped for fodder. Pods are best fed dry as a supplement, not as a green fodder.

Hedges [edit]

A. nilotica makes a good protective hedge because of its thorns.[8]

Medicine [edit]

In Siddha medicine, A. niloticagum is used to treat otherwise watery semen.[9][unreliable medical source?]

Lumber [edit]

The tree's wood is "very durable if water-seasoned" and its uses include tool handles and lumber for boats.[8] The wood has a density of about 1170 kg/m³.[10]

Propagation [edit]

There are 5000-16000 seeds/kg.[11]

Subspecies [edit]

Seed pods
Compound leaf, seed, flower and seed pod
Bark structure

See also [edit]

References [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Acacia nilotica
Wikispecies has information related to: Acacia nilotica
  1. ^ ILDIS LegumeWeb
  2. ^ http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=182086
  3. ^ http://dictionary.infoplease.com/babul http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babul http://www.worldagroforestry.org/Sea/Products/AFDbases/AF/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=81
  4. ^ "Acacia nilotica (acacia)". Plants & Fungi. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-28. 
  5. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. 1 A-C. CRC Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2. 
  6. ^ Handbook on Seeds of Dry-zone Acacias FAO
  7. ^ a b http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/documents/wmg_prickly_acacia.pdf
  8. ^ a b Google Books Select Extra-tropical Plants Readily Eligible for Industrial Culture Or Naturalization By Ferdinand von Mueller
  9. ^ Dr. J. Raamachandran, "HERBS OF SIDDHA MEDICINES - The First 3D Book on Herbs"
  10. ^ a b c d e f g FAO
  11. ^ Tropical Forages
  12. ^ USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)

External links [edit]

Sources of tannins
Sources of
condensed tannins
Sources of
hydrolysable tannins
Other sources
Whole plant
General
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