Leguminosae-mim Acacia zanzibarica (S.Moore)Taub.

| |	© Chris W. Fagg

Keywords in this picture :

• Foliage
• Node
• Stipule
• Fruit
• Vegetative
• Stem
• Flower & fruit
• Plant parts

Places where this species can be found :

• Sinsanbligbini Forest Reserve - NSBPGHANA
• Mole National Park - NSBPGHANA

Species information

Other Notes
Species characteristics : Small tree or shrub to 9 m high, with its straight thorns sometimes inflated into pseudo-galls. Bark yellow green to whitish when young, turning cinnamon coloured and powdery with age, and bright yellow flowers in a globose inflorescence. Species is divided into two varieties, the typical variety with large leaflets and prominent venation undernealth, and variety microphylla which commonly occurs more inland at higher altitudes, with smaller leaflets and normally only the midrib raised beneath. The typical variety can be found in scrub, woodland and wooded grassland, gregarious on coastal clay flats and on saline soils, and on alluvium in seasonally flooded areas. The smaller leaved variety can be found in heavy clay seasonally flooded soils and also on sand and gypsum soils, both inland in granitic plains and drainage lines and coastal. This species is closely related to A. seyal var. fistula, the only other pseudo-gall acacia with yellow flowers. Variety microphylla can be confused with A. seyal var. fistula, but has shorter calyces and corollas, small involuces (1-2 mm.) which are at or up to 3 mm. above the base of the peduncle, and inflorescences typically borne on short lateral shoots. Common names: var. zanzibarica: Kenya: Fulai (Somali), Mgunga (Swahili), Mpiga (Swahili), Mpinga Kururu (Swahili), Wachu (Orma); Somalia: Fulai (Somali); Tanzania: Mgunga (Kiswahili), Ol Jeroi (Masai). var. microphylla: Kenya: Fulai (Somali), Modzewa (Kamba), Wacchu (Boran), Wacho (Boran); Somalia: Sarman (Somali). Distribution: var. zanzibarica: Kenya (Coast, Northern Frontier, Garissa, Taita, Kwale, Mandera, Wajir, Mombasa, Kilifi, Chunya, Tana River); Somalia (Jubbada hoose, Bay, Shebeellaha Hoose); Tanzania (Coast, Bagamoyo, Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Uzaramo, Lushoto, Pangani, Lindi, Pare, Kilwa, Muheza). var. microphylla: Ethiopia (Harerge); Kenya (Northern Frontier, Kitui, Maralal, Isiolo, Meru, Baringo, Wajir, Nzue, Marsabit); Somalia (Hiiraan, Shabeellaha Hoose, Jubbada hoose, Bay, Jubbada Dhexe). Altitude range: var. zanzibarica: 2- (2-200) -914m; var. microphylla: 10-1067m

Specimen information

Collector
Fagg, C. W.

Specimen Number
024