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Leguminosae-mim Acacia seyal var. Del.

Leguminosae-mim Acacia seyal
| | © Rosemary Wise

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Species information

Interest
The wood is light, and has been used for packing cases, light furniture, fuel, saddle frames and tent poles in the Sahel, however is susceptible to termites and rot. Bark contains around 18-20% tannin, and is used for tanning leather in Sudan. The bast yields a fibre. Roots are woven into baskets. A bark decoction is used by the Peuhl for both man and cattle, and in Sudan a root decoction as a vermifuge. It is a source of a red dye and used for making paints and ink. Its gum (gum talha now also marketed as gum arabic) is edible. A tea like beverage is prepared from the bark. The wood smoke is reputed to be an insect repellent, and Sudanese women fumigate themselves with it. The Mbeere use the thorny branches as livestock pens or bomas. Occasionally planted as a shade tree in the Sahel. Its foliage, pods and bark are eaten by animals.

Other Notes
Common names: Chad: Tala (Arabic); Kenya: Ale (Luo), Kinyua (Kamba), Kisewa (Kamba), Muaa (Kamba), Munyua (Kamba), Olerai (Masai), Olmonyuonyooy (Masai), Rena (Pokot), Wacchu (Boran), Wachodima (Boran); Nigeria: Dushe (Hausa), Dussa (Hausa), Farankiya (Hausa); Sudan: Talh (Arabic); Tanzania: Honyawaend (Tatoa), Kasamele (Kitongwe), Laray Lanay (Masai), Lerai (Masai), Munguga (Kiswahil), Olerai (Masai). Species characteristics: Usually medium sized trees to 10 m high, they have been recorded to 17 m in Sudan, with a spreading crown. It has distinctive smooth powdery bark, from white to greenish yellow or orange red, with a green layer beneath. In some populations both red and yellow barked individuals can be found. The species is divided into a variety which has inflated pseudo galls (var. fistula) and the type were they are abscent. A widespread species, it is gregarious on dry cracking clay soils along watercourses in woodland and grass savannas, or in woodlands on stony ground with dark clay loams. Like its related species, A. hockii and A. zanzibarica it has falcate pods and bright yellow flowers in a globose inflorescence. Distribution : Burkina Faso (Hauts Bassins); Cameroon (Diamare); Ethiopia (Harerge, Shewa, Awash valley, Sidamo, Gamo Gofa, Tigray, Arsi); Ghana (Upper); Kenya (Turkana, Rift valley, Masai, Kajiado, Machakos, Eastern, Nairobi, Kitui, Trans-Nzoia, Nakuru, Naivasha, Kiambu, South Kavirondo, Narok, Maralal, Meru, Embu, Baringo, Thika, North Nyeri, Elgeyo, Pokot, Ruiru, Marsabit, Nithi, ); Mali ); Mauritania ); Mozambique (Cabo Delgado, Niassa); Niger (Zinder, Agadez); Nigeria (Adamawa, Muri, Sokoto, Katsina, Bornu, Kano, Katagum); Senegal ; Sudan (Darfur, Khartoum, Kordofan, El Gezira, Ash Sharqiyah, Aali an Nil); Tanzania (Tanga, Northern, Masasi, Kondoa, Mbeya, Iringa, Mbulu, Musoma, Kigoma, Moshi, Masai, Arusha, Mpwapwa, Singida, Mufindi, Upare, Liwale); Togo ; Uganda (Karamoja, Acholi); Zaire (Bas Congo, Dungu, Beni, Bunia); Chad (Chari Baguirmi); Eritrea. Specimen total: 210 Degree squares: 49 Collection years: 1800-1993 Phenology : Flowering: Jan(12), Feb(17), Mar(9), Apr(4), May(3), Jun(6), Jul(15), Aug(12), Sep(13), Oct(26), Nov(25), Dec(14); Fruiting: Jan(7), Feb(12), Mar(7), Apr(8), May(7), Jun(5), Jul(7), Aug(8), Sep(7), Oct(11), Nov(9), Dec(7) Altitude range: 304- (1000-2000) -2250m

Specimen information

Collector
PS

Specimen Number
s.n.