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Leguminosae-mim Acacia nilotica ssp. (L.) Willd. ex Del. kraussiana (Benth.) Brenan

| | © Rosemary Wise

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Species information

Interest
The wide layer of light buff to brown sapwood surrounds a clear deep pink-red dense heartwood with variable markings. The very heavy wood (1100-1170 k/m3) has a coarse to medium even texture, and is hard and difficult to work. It has a similar hardness to both A. nigrescens and A. erioloba. The wood seasons well, is very durable, and is resistant to borer and termite attack. Good logs can occasionally be obtained. The wood has been used for mine timber, fence posts, waggons and tool handles, and has also been used for carving, turnery and cabinet-making, although it is difficult to saw and tends to blunt tools. It provides a very good firewood. The bark and pods are rich in tannin, yielding up to 38%, and have been used in tanning. Ink made from the ripe black pods. An edible gum, used in confectionery and as an adhesive, is obtained from the stem, while roasted pods have been used as a flavouring. The tree has many medicinal uses in Zimbabwe - the leaves and roots have been used to relieve colds, ophthalmia, haemorrhages and as a stimulant, while the flower is made into an ointment for wounds. The greatest economic value of A. nilotica is possibly in its use for livestock. Both the leaves and pods are high in protein, and the pods are available into the dry season when they are most needed. Both cattle and wildlife will attempt to knock down the unripe pods. In southern Matabeleland, 35 kg of pods were obtained from a single average tree in a good season. There appears to be a chemical in the pods, perhaps tannin, which limits animals' intake. The tree is also a useful source of shade as it loses its leaves later in the season than many other species. A. nilotica is obviously adapted for animal dispersal, but if concentrations of cattle build up creating disturbed, open habitats, the species will become invasive and form thickets, thus reducing available grass. Browsed by cattle, sheep, goats and camels in Ethiopia.

Other Notes
Species characteristics: Very widespread species in Africa and also streaching to the Indian subcontinent and Shri Lanka, it is divided into nine subspecies. Single stemmed, deciduous or evergreen tree, usually 2.5-15 m tall, but reaching 25 m or more in the riverine subspecies, with a flattened spreading or rounded crown. Root system deep and extensive in dry sites, the taproot developing first and then the laterals, which become compact and massive, but in flooded sites the root system is largely lateral. Distinguished from most African Acacia species in possessing long straight paired thorns at the leaf axil which are characteristically deflexed. Acacia nilotica in Africa exhibits two very distinct ecological preferences: the subspecies subalata, leiocarpa and adstringens occur in wooded grassland, savanna and dry scrub forests on deep sandy loamy soils, and also on lateritic and calcareous sites. Subsp. kraussiana also prefers dry grasslands and savannas, especially on compacted sandy loam, shallow granite or clay soils along drainage lines and rivers, but away from flooding. On the other hand, subspecies nilotica and tomentosa are restricted to riverine habitats and seasonally flooded areas on clay alluvial soils. In the Indian subcontinent, subsp. indica forms low altitude dry forests usually on alluvium soils subject to flooding or black cotton soils. Now widely planted on farms throughout the plains, it will also grow on saline, alkaline, and on soils with calcareous pans. Common names: Botswana: Lekwele (Mokgwe); Malawi: Chiwiriri (Nkhonde), Kawilili (Tumbuka), Namaleng (Yao), Namalinga (Kiyao), Ngalankanga (Citumbuka); Mozambique: Changua (Changane), Menanga (Chindas), Motho (Macua), Mugambilami (Namac.), Munhe (Macua), Tchissio (Sena), Thalala (Macua); Namibia: Eno (Kwanyama); South Africa: Tshungapanda (N.Transvaal), Umgawe (Zulu); Tanzania: Isejele (Songwe); Zambia: Munganunchi (Bemba), Muombwe (Chitonga); Zimbabwe: MuOnga (?Shona). Distribution: Angola (Benguela, Huila, Cunene, Mocamedes, Cuanza sul, Namibie); Botswana (Chobe, Northern Division, Central, South East, Ngamiland, Kweneng, South Eastern, Kgatleng, Northern); Egypt ); Ethiopia ); Malawi (Zomba, Blantyre, Karonga, Mwanza, Mulanje, Rumphi, Mangochi, Chikwawa, Machinga, Nsanje, Salima, Mzimba, Lilongwe, Chiradzulu, Kasungu, Southern, N); Mozambique (Sulo do save, Cabo Delgado, Limpopo, Gaza, Tete, Maputo, Inhambane, Manica e Sofala, Niassa, Nampula, Zambezia); South Africa (Transvaal, Natal, Witbank); Swaziland (Hlatikulu, ); Tanzania (Central, Coast, Southern, Eastern, Bagamoyo, Mpanda, Njombe, Handeni, Songwe, Uzaramo, Songea, Lindi, Morogoro, Kilosa, Kilwa); Unknown ();Yemen Republic ); Yemen South ); Zambia (Lusaka, Southern, Northern, Eastern, Luapula, Fort Jameson); Zimbabwe (Gwanda, Beitbridge, Hwange, Guruve, Gweru, Gokwe, Hurungwe, Nyamandhlovu, Chiredzi, Chipinge, Bulawayo, Matobo, Chirumanzu, Chimanimani, Marondera, Goromonzi, Bikita, Mwenezi, Mutoko, Shamva, Kariba, Darwin, Sebungwe, Bubi, Bulilima-Mangwe, Harare, Charter, Kadoma, Ndanga, Mutare, Masvingo, Kwekwe, Midlands, Matebeleland, Chivi, Centenary, Mount Darwin); Namibia (Kaokoland, Damaraland, Tsumeb, Grootfontein, Otjiwarongo, Owambo, Outjo, Specimen total: 1023 Degree squares: 133 Collection years: 1800-1996 Flowering period: Jan(40), Feb(11), Mar(13), Apr(5), May(5), Jun(1), Sep(6), Oct(72), Nov(84), Dec(66) Fruiting period: Jan(31), Feb(24), Mar(56), Apr(64), May(54), Jun(58), Jul(36), Aug(15), Sep(3), Oct(20), Nov(25), Dec(31) Altitude range: 2- (2-1400) -1800m

Specimen information

Collector
PS

Specimen Number
s.n.