Leguminosae-mim Acacia xanthophloea Benth.

| |	© Chris W. Fagg

Keywords in this picture :

• Habit
• Vegetative
• Plant parts

Places where this species can be found :

• Bilisu Forest Reserve - NSBPGHANA

Species information

Interest
Gum frequently eaten throughout its range. A bark decoction is used against indigestion by the Maasai and Marakwet tribes of Kenya (Beentje 1994). Seeds are a favourite food of the vervet monkeys in southern Africa (Timberlake et al. 1999). The wood is relatively hard, heavy (880-910 kg/m3 air dry), with a coarse even texture. Heartwood is only present in large specimens, and has been used as general purpose timber. It is moderately resistant and has been used in carpentry, but is prone to splitting. Timber has been used in boat builing, hut construction, furniture, oil presses, mortas and domestic utensils and well as drinking troughs and fences on the farm. The small side shoots are used for toothpicks. The growth rate is initially fast (up to 7 m height in 3 years) and the species is often used as a garden plant. It is frost-sensitive but can recover from frost damage. It also makes a good quality firewood and charcoal, being preferred in Tanzania. As a fodder species, young branches leaves and fruit are eaten by elephant, who also strip the bark, giraffe feed on foliage and pods, and baboons and vervet monkeys will eat the pods. It has been grown as live hedges in Tanzania. Produces a gum with an positive optical rotation like gum talha (Wickens et al. 1995).

Other Notes
Common names: Kenya: Hwacho dima (Boran), Imwea (Kamba), Murera (Kimeru), Ochmnyaliliet (Kipsigis), Olera (Masai), Olerai (Masai), Ulela (Kav.); Malawi: Chezimi (Chinyanja); Tanzania: Hok'Alako (Tino.), Ilaje (Safwa), Mrerea (Kichagga), Msala (Chifipa), Mwerera (Pare). Species characteristics: Medium to large graceful tree to 30 m tall with a open rounded crown, with a very distinctive lemon to greenish yellow powdery bark. Commonly called the "fever tree" because of its association with the habitat of the the malarial mosquito, it grows on alluvium close to rivers, seasonally flooded areas or on the margins of lakes or pans. The tree is gregarious and can form a monodominant closed woodland, a well known example around Lake Naivasha in Kenya. In the southern part of its range it is a lowland species but in east and northeastern Africa it occurs at higher altitudes. An unusual distjunction is its distribution in northern Somalia, where it occasionally occurs on the northern slopes of Bari and Sanaag which capture extra moisture from sea mists. It grows fast and is a prolific seed producer. This species is also commonly planted as an ornamental. The white flowered A. xanthophloea (in Kenya and northern Tanzania) can be confused with A. kirkii, growing in similar habitats, however the leaves on the shoots have 6-14 pinnae pairs, with at least some leaves over 8 pairs, and eglandular petioles. The yellow flowered A. xanthophloea can be confused with A. seyal (Tanzania south) in that the latter has flowering heads are borne on elongated lateral or terminal shoots of current seasons growth, narrower sickle shaped pods and presence of "ant galls" in the thorns of variety fistula. Flower colour is still undetermined in southern Sudan and northern Somalia. Distribution: Kenya (Rift valley, Masai, Kajiado, Machakos, Laikipia, Nairobi, Kitui, Nakuru, Naivasha, Kiambu, Narok, Maralal, Meru, Baringo, Taita Taveta); Malawi (Zomba, Chikwawa, Machinga); Mozambique (Maputo, Sofala, Inhambane, Manica e Sofala, Zambezia); Somalia (Sanaag, Bari); South Africa (Transvaal, Natal); Sudan (Al Istiw'a'iyah); Swaziland (Stegi, Lubombo, Shiselweni); Tanzania (Tanga, Lushoto, Mbeya, Mbulu, Musoma, Moshi, Masai, Arusha, Pangani, Pare, Same, Ufipa); Zimbabwe (Beitbridge, Chiredzi, Chipinge). Specimen total: 163 Degree squares: 42 Collection years: 1860-1996 Phenology : Flowering period: Mar(2), Apr(1), Jun(1), Jul(4), Aug(7), Sep(9), Oct(11), Nov(2); Fruiting period: Jan(6), Feb(5), Mar(2), Apr(1), May(1), Jun(1), Aug(1), Sep(2), Oct(8), Nov(8), Dec(4) Altitude range: 25-2100m

Specimen information

Collector
Fagg, C. W.

Specimen Number
005