Leguminosae-mim Acacia drepanolobium Harms ex Sjostedt

| |	© Chris W. Fagg

Keywords in this picture :

• Habit
• Vegetative
• Plant parts

Species information

Interest
Mbeere women of Kenya use dry branches to ignite 'hot' kindling for a steady burn of charcoal when firing pottery. They use the thorny branches for livestock pens (zaribas/bomas). The wood, usually in small dimensions, is hard, heavy, durable and termite resistent. It is used in agricultural implements, tool handles, Y poles to support graneries, and in Tanzania a preferred species for building material and fence posts. In northern Kenya pegs made from the heartwood are used to climb baobabs to gain access to bee hives, and to peg down hides while curing and drying. Bee hives are hung in the larger trees. The foliage is browsed by giraffe. Its gum is collected in Tanzania, it has a positive optical rotation, opposite to A. senegal gum, and is used as a glue (Wickens et al. 1995).

Other Notes
Common names: Ethiopia: Ulaulich (Bodi); Kenya: Eluai (Masai), Kiunga (Kamba), Kiunga (Kikmaba), Mugurit (Kipsigis), Mukurit (Kipsigis), Muthi (Kikuyu), Ngowo (Tree), Whistling Thorn (English); Sudan: Aweir (Arabic), Peng (Dinka), Suffar Azraq (Arabic); Tanzania: Charbujand (Matog), Eluhai (Kimasai), Enjorai (Masai), Ilula (Kisukuma), Mbalibali (Swahili), Mudulanduli (Kinyaramba). Species characteristics : Shrub or tree to 8 m tall, this species can be found as slender tree or a small dense shrub, often maintained by browsing or severe fires. Has long spines with some bases developing into swollen pseudo galls, which often have colonies of ants living in them. Like the other pseudo gall Acacias it is often found on black cotton clay soilsor hard pan grey soils in shrub and dwarf tree grassland. Gregarious often forming large communities on overgrazed land. Distribution: Ethiopia (Harerge, Sidamo, Gamo Gofa); Kenya (Rift valley, Central, Masai, Kajiado, Machakos, Eastern, Laikipia, Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha, Fort Hall, Central Kavirondo, Narok, Maralal, Nyeri, Meru, Baringo); Somalia (Shabeellaha Hoose, Jubbada hoose, Jubbada Dhexe); Sudan (Ash Sharqiyah, Aali an Nil); Tanzania (Northern, Maswa, Lushoto, Kondoa, Mbeya, Iringa, Mbulu, Musoma, Tabora, Shinyanga, Moshi, Masai, Arusha, Pare, Singida, Dodoma, Same, Musoma/Maswa); Uganda (Karamoja, Acholi); Zaire (Djegu, Lac Albert). Specimen total: 141 Degree squares: 39 Collection years: 1900-1988 Phenology : Flowering period: Jan(12), Feb(9), Mar(13), Apr(4), May(1), Jun(1), Jul(5), Aug(10), Sep(9), Oct(7), Nov(5), Dec(6); Fruiting period: Jan(6), Feb(1), Mar(4), Apr(2), May(2), Jun(5), Jul(4), Aug(4), Sep(1), Oct(1), Nov(3), Dec(2) Altitude range: 20- (1000-2000) -2682m

Specimen information

Collector
Fagg, C. W.

Specimen Number
021