Home | > | List of families | > | Fabaceae subfamily Mimosoideae | > | Acacia | > | nilotica |
Synonyms: |
Acacia benthamii Rochebr. Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb. subsp. kraussiana (Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr. |
Common names: | Isanqawe (Ndebele) Mubayamhondoro (Shona) Muhunga (Shona) Muzunga (Shona) Scented-thorn (English) Umlaladwayi (Ndebele) |
Frequency: | Common |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Small to medium-sized tree. Bark dark brown to almost black, deeply fissured in older specimens. Thorns in pairs, straight, often typically pointing backwards. Leaves compound with 4-8 pinnae. Flowers in spherical heads on the new growth, yellow. Pods distinctive, constricted between the seeds, green when young, turning black when ripe, indehiscent. Old pods often still on the tree when the new pods appear. |
Notes: | This species is similar to Acacia karroo. It can easily be distinguished by the distinctive pods. When no pods are present, the slightly deflexed thorns and the small, closely spaced leaflets may aid identification. |
Derivation of specific name: | nilotica: from the valley of the Nile |
Habitat: | In a wide variety of habitats, often as a pioneer in disturbed areas. |
Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 1500 m |
Flowering time: | Oct - Jan |
Worldwide distribution: | (this subsp.) Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | Charaxes zoolina zoolina (Food plant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 11 February 2006 |
Literature: |
Brenan, J.P.M. (1970). Mimosoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(1) Pages 96 - 99. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 191. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 2. As Acacia nilotica Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 170 - 171. as Acacia nilotica (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. Mannheimer, C. & Curtis B. (2009). Le Roux and Müller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia Macmillan Education, Windhoek, Namibia. Pages 112 - 113. (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. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 60. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 26. Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Page 12. as Acacia benthamii Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 92. Timberlake, J., Fagg, C. & Barnes, R. (1999). Field Guide to the Acacias of Zimbabwe CBC Publishing, Harare Pages 94 - 97. (Includes a picture). |
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