Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Mimosoideae | > | Acacia | > | mellifera |
Synonyms: |
Acacia detinens Burch. Senegalia mellifera (Vahl) Seigler & Ebinger subsp. detinens (Burch.) Kyal. & Boatwr. |
Common names: | Black thorn (English) Katogwa (Ndebele) Muguhungu (Ndebele) Mukotokwa (Ndebele) Umngaga (Ndebele) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Shrub or small tree. Young branches with distinct white lenticels; strongly hooked prickles in pairs at the nodes. Leaves c. 3 × 2 cm with 2-3 pairs of pinnae, each only with 1-2 pairs of leaflets; leaflets obovate, asymmetric, up to 2 × 1.5 cm, blue-green. Flowers in axillary clusters of subspherical or very shortly elongate heads, white, sweetly scented. Pod up to 9 × 2.5 cm, papery, straight, smooth, straw-coloured, dehiscent. |
Notes: | Somewhat similar to A. nigrescens but lacking the prickly knobs on the trunk. It has smaller, paler and papery pods and much shorter inflorescences. A. nigrescens does not have white lenticel markings on the young branches. |
Derivation of specific name: | mellifera: honey-bearing; referring to the fact that the flowers attract many bees; detinens; detaining, holding back, referring to the fact that the strongly hooked thorns will catch anyone passing. |
Habitat: | In dry woodland and bush. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 300 - 1200 m |
Flowering time: | Jul - Nov |
Worldwide distribution: | From Tanzania to Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Friday 19 February 2016 |
Literature: |
Brenan, J.P.M. (1970). Mimosoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(1) Pages 67 - 68. Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 203. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 2. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 160 - 162. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 214. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 241. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 381. (Includes a picture). Mannheimer, C. & Curtis B. (2009). Le Roux and Müller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia Macmillan Education, Windhoek, Namibia. Pages 106 - 107. (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 44. Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 168 - 169. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 60. Timberlake, J., Fagg, C. & Barnes, R. (1999). Field Guide to the Acacias of Zimbabwe CBC Publishing, Harare Pages 84 - 85. (Includes a picture). 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. |
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