Leguminosae-mim Acacia mellifera ssp. (Vahl) Benth. detinens (Burch.) Brenan

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Keywords in this picture :

• Foliage
• Gland
• Node
• Stipule
• Flower
• Fruit
• Habit
• Lamina leaf blade
• Leaflet
• Seed
• Thorn
• Vegetative
• Spines prickles etc
• Fruit details
• Leaf parts
• Stem
• Inflorescence
• Flower part
• Leaf blade glands etc
• Flower & fruit
• Glands (large types)
• Leaf
• Parts of compound lvs
• Plant parts

Species information

Interest
Heartwood, dark brown to greenish black in colour, is only found in much older trees. The whitish sapwood is hard, strong wood is very heavy (1100 g/m3), saws well and has good durability, although it needs careful seasoning. It is resistant to borers, termites and fungi, and has been used for tool and implement handles, perhaps because of its small size. In Namibia it is regarded as suitable for chipboard and wood cement blocks but unsuitable for wood cement panels. Used for fuel. The pods, young shoots and leaves are very nutritious to livestock and game. Crude protein levels of 14-27% have been recorded from leaves in central Botswana. Small branches have been ground in a hammer mill and mixed with molasses for stock feeds during drought. A bark infusion is used in parts of Mashonaland (Zimbabwe) as an aphrodisiac. Produces and edible gum, which is sometimes mixed with clay to make clay flooring. There are records of the leaves being eaten as food (Timberlake et al 1999, Wickens et al 1995).

Other Notes
Species characteristics: Often a dense obconical chrub, it can develop into a tree to 6 (9) m tall. It has relatively large leaflets, one or two pairs per pinnae. It has two subspecies seperated by the number of pinnae pairs and their peduncles. It is widespread in dry bushland, thornveld and wooded grassland, and in the north prefers loamy soils. It can form impenetrable thickets over much of its range. It is a prolific flowerer, and it specific name refers to being a useful honey plant. Common names: Kenya: Kikwatha (Giriama), Talamogh (Pokot); Tanzania: Kimodoa (Kipare), Msasa (Kiluguru), Msasa (Zigua); Zimbabwe: Ngaga (Ndebele). Distribution: widespread from Tanzania southwards found in Angola (Huila); Botswana (Chobe, Central, South East, Ngamiland, Ghanzi, South Eastern, Kgatleng, Southern, Kgalagadi, Northern, Gaborone, South west); Malawi (Machinga); Mozambique (Zambesi); South Africa (Transvaal, Cape, Free); Swaziland (Lubombo); Tanzania (Handeni, Nzega, Mbeya, Iringa, Shinyanga, Mpwapwa, Pare, Singida, Morogoro, Kilosa); Zambia (Southern, Western, Northern, Namwala); Zimbabwe (Hwange, Gokwe, Hurungwe, Nyamandhlovu, Matobo, Mwenezi, Kariba, Mangwe, Matabeleland); Namibia (Kaokoland, Windhoek, Otjiwarongo, Maltahohe, Okahandja, Caprivi Oos, Namaland). Specimen total: 237 Degree squares: 73 Collection years: 1800-1996 Phenology: Flowering period: Feb(1), May(1), Jun(2), Jul(7), Aug(18), Sep(8), Oct(5), Nov(1); Fruiting period: Jan(1), Mar(1), Jun(1), Jul(2), Aug(9), Sep(5), Oct(7), Nov(5) Altitude range: 100- (800-1200) -1675m

Specimen information

Collector
PS

Specimen Number
s.n.