Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev.

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (17)

Faidherbia albida

Photo: Mark Hyde
Near Mahenye Primary School

Faidherbia albida

Photo: Mark Hyde
Near Mahenye Primary School

Faidherbia albida

Photo: Rob Burrett
Lubu Valley, Sebungwe (Binga)

Faidherbia albida

Photo: Rob Burrett
Lubu Valley, Sebungwe (Binga)

Faidherbia albida

Photo: Rob Burrett
Lubu Valley, Sebungwe (Binga)

Records: Display species records Map species using Google Maps

Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Acacia albida Delile
Common names: Ana-tree (English) Apple-ring acacia (English) Musangu (Shona) Musenga (Shona) Umpumbu (Ndebele) Winter thorn (English)
Description: Large deciduous tree. Bark greenish-grey; young branches, whitish, zig-zagging between the nodes. Thorns straight, up to 2 cm long, paired at the nodes. Leaves with 3-10 pairs of pinnae; leaflets in 6-23 pairs per pinna, grey-green; rhachis with glands between each pair of pinnae, no gland on the petiole. Flowers in axillary spikes up to 14 cm, creamy-white. Pods reddish-brown to orange when ripe, characteristically curled and twisted like an apple-peel, indehiscent.
Notes: This tree is very unusual in that it is leafless throughout the rainy season and comes into leaf during the dry winter months.
Derivation of specific name: albida: whitish, referring to the branchlets
Flowering time:May - Sep
Worldwide distribution: Widespread in tropical Africa as far as KwaZulu-Natal, Also in Egypt and on the Arabian Peninsula.
Growth form(s): Tree.
Insects associated with this species: Deudorix antalus (Food plant)
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Image last updated: Sunday 11 October 2020
Literature:

Brenan, J.P.M. (1970). Mimosoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(1) Pages 63 - 65. as Acacia albida (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 210. as Acacia albida

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 185. (Includes a picture).

Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 130 - 131. (Includes a picture).

Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 213. as Acacia albida

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 240. As Acacia albida

Mannheimer, C. & Curtis B. (2009). Le Roux and Müller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia Macmillan Education, Windhoek, Namibia. Pages 122 - 123. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 45.

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 66.

Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 12. as Acacia albida

Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 210.

Other sources of information about Faidherbia albida:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Faidherbia albida
Flora of Caprivi: Faidherbia albida
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Faidherbia albida
Flora of Malawi: Faidherbia albida
Flora of Mozambique: Faidherbia albida
Flora of Zambia: Faidherbia albida
Flora of Zimbabwe: Faidherbia albida

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Faidherbia albida
African Plant Database: Faidherbia albida
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Faidherbia albida
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Faidherbia albida
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Faidherbia albida
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Faidherbia albida
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Faidherbia albida
JSTOR Plant Science: Faidherbia albida
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Faidherbia albida
Plants of the World Online: Faidherbia albida
Tropicos: Faidherbia albida
Wikipedia: Faidherbia albida


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated Plants: Species information: Faidherbia albida.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=126270, retrieved 19 March 2024

Site software last modified: 26 March 2018 2:06pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use