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Leguminosae-mim Acacia hockii De Wild.

Leguminosae-mim Acacia hockii
| | © Rosemary Wise

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Species information

Interest
Bark boiled in water by Masai and liquid given to children with fever. A root decoction is taken for hookworm in Tanzania, and the leaf sap for malaria and abscesses. The Zigua of Tanga province, also drink the root boiled in water for stomach pain. The bark is reported to be used as famine food (Flora of Ethiopia (1989), and the bark yields a fibre for rope making and basketry, used in the Tanga province of Tanzania. In Kenya, the Mbeere children chew the very sweet bark, and eat the edible gum. The wood is hard and straight grained, however is susceptible to termites and decay. It is therefore not favoured for hut construction. It is mostly used for fuelwood and charcoal in Kenya, and thorny branches for cattle pens and fencing. Foliage and pods are browsed by goats, flowers eaten by baboons and seed by chimpanzees. Elephants and antelope seek out the dry pods and new leaves after fires (Wickens et al. 1995). The species also yields a translucent reddish gum, one of a number of species marketed as African gum arabic but inferior to true gum arabic from A. senegal. Used by the Mbeere tribe in Kenya as an adhesive. The flowers are sweet scented and are a good bee forage. The thorny branches are used by the Mbeere tribe for livestock pens (bomas). (Wickens et al. 1995).

Other Notes
Common names: Burkina Faso: Gar sabalaga (Moure); Ethiopia: Cholach (Bodi), Churach (Bodi), Churai (Mursi), Dak'ali (Ari); Kenya: Arumbe (Dholuo), Burgupet (Boran), Chepnyaliliet (Kipsigis), Chooh (Pokot), Dabaso (Boran), Echekereng (Turkana), Ekkisisia (Kikawango), Encharpalani (Masai), Igisurua (Watende), Katet (Kipsigis), Kidenya (Teita), Kinyua (Kamba), Kithii (Kamba), Kumunyenya (Lubukusu), Kuthe (plural) (Luo), Lendet (Kipsigis), Mugaa (Kikuyu), Munga (Kamba), Muoli (Kamba), Oiladili (Masai), Ol'jarbolani (Masai), Olderbalan (Masai), Olera (Masai), Olerai (Masai), Oriang (Luo), Orjorai (Masai), Telatibilit (Nandi); Nigeria: Siludi (Fulani); Rwanda: Umugenge (Kinyaruanda); Sudan: Asorai (Latuho), Rariya (Kakwa), Riangan (Bari), Talh ahmar (Arabic); Tanzania: Ghaham (Mbulu), Ilula (Kikerewe), Kasemele (Ki-Tongwe), Kasemere (Kintongwe), Kisukula (Zanaki), Kisusura (Kikabwa), Kusemele (Bende), Mgunga (Kiluguru), Mnenyera (Kisukuma), Msese (Kkisukuma), Msomdodu (Kimbuga), Mubanguti (Kiha.), Mukengessa (Kiheha), Munga (Kirungu), Mzonapoli (Kiluguru), Sese (Kisukuma), Sese (Sukuma); Uganda: Kasana (Lugan), Kasana (Luganda), Kasoni (Lusoga), Omugando (Ankole), Omugando (Kinyankole); Zaire: Kassonionga (Kiluba); Zambia: Chibombo (W), Katete (Chilunda), Munga (Bemba), Mupangala (Lungu), Uzimwe (Kunda). Species characteristics: Multistemmed shrub or small tree to 7 (12) m tall, bark not powdery, red-brown to greenish brown, peeling off in papery brown layers or where burned grey brown and in plates. In west Africa occurs in the moister savanna regions of the Guinea zone. In east Africa occurs in deciduous woodland, wooded grassland and deciduous and semi-evergreen bushland, common on hills in Brachystegia woodland in Tanzania. Invades of overgrazed grasslands and evergreen thickets in east Africa along with A. drepanolobium, A. kirkii and A. seyal. Can be one of the dominants in Acacia Commiphora wooded grassland and occurs in the open understory in Combretum Terminalia secondary wooded grassland in the Serengeti National Park (White 1983). It has a tendancy to regenerate from its roots when damaged by persistent fires, however it usually remains as a short shrub under these conditions. Distribution: Angola (Benguela, Cuanza sul); Burkina Faso (Est); Burundi (Bubanza, Bujumbura); Cameroon (Adamaoua, Benoue, Diamare, North); Central African Republic (Boguila, Haut Oubangui, Kemo-Gribingui); Ethiopia (Gamo Gofa); Ghana (Northern, Upper); Kenya (Baringo, Bomet, Central, Eldama Ravine, Embu, Fort Hall, Kajiado, Kericho, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kisumu, Kitui, Lodwar, Machakos, Machakos/Kajiado, Maralal, Marsabit, Masai, Meru, Muranga, Nairobi, Nakuru, Narok, North Kavirondo, North Nyeri, Northern Frontier, Nyanza, Pokot, Rift valley, S Ny, S Nyanza, S Nyeri, South Kavirondo, Taita, Trans-Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot, West Suk); Malawi (Blantyre, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Mwanza, Mzimba, Nkhotakota, Ntcheu, Zomba); Mozambique (Manica e Sofala, Tete, Zambezia); Nigeria (Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Benue Plateau, Borgu, Bornu, Ilorin, Kabba, Northern); Rwanda (Biumba, Bugesera, Butare, Mutara); Sudan (Al Istiw'a'iyah, Bahr el Gebel, Equatoria, S); Tanzania (Biharamulo, Buha, Bukoba, Chunya, Geita, Handeni, Iringa, Kahama, Kigoma, Kilosa, Kilwa, Kondoa, Korogwe, Lushoto, Masai, Maswa, Mbeya, Mbulu, Monduli, Morogoro, Moshi, Mpanda, Mpwapwa, Mufindi, Musoma, Musoma/Maswa, Mwanza, Northern, Rungwe, Shinyanga, Singida, Tanga, Ufipa, Ulanga, Uzaramo); Togo ); Uganda (Acholi, Ankole, Bunyoro, Busoga, Karamoja, Mbale, Mengo, Mubende, Teso); Zaire (Bas Katanga, Dungu, Haut Katanga, Katanga, Lacs Edouard et Kivu, Ubangi Uele); Zambia (Copperbelt, Luapula, Mbale, Mwinilunga, N Rhodesia, North western, Northern. Specimen total: 415 Degree squares: 103 Collection years: 1800-1993 Phenology: Flowering period: Jan(24), Feb(30), Mar(29), Apr(27), May(16), Jun(45), Jul(34), Aug(30), Sep(36), Oct(24), Nov(26), Dec(9) Fruiting period: Jan(11), Feb(14), Mar(10), Apr(11), May(7), Jun(15), Jul(18), Aug(16), Sep(16), Oct(14), Nov(21), Dec(13) Altitude range: 10-2439m

Specimen information

Collector
PS

Specimen Number
s.n.