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Acacia nilotica
 
 
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Acacia nilotica (Thorn mimosa in Australia; Lekkerruikpeul or Scented thorn in South Africa) is a species of Acacia
Acacia

Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Sweden botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773....
 (wattle) native to Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
 and the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. It is also currently an invasive species
Invasive species in Australia

Invasive species are a serious threat to the native biodiversity of Australia and are an ongoing cost to Agriculture in Australia.The management of weeds costs AUD $3.5 billion yearly....
 of significant concern in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. For the ongoing reclassification of this and other species historically classified under genus Acacia, see the list of Acacia species
List of Acacia species

Several cladistic analyses have shown that the genus Acacia is not monophyletic. While the subg. Acacia and subg. Phyllodineae are monophyletic, subg....
.
cacia nilotica is a tree 5-20 m high with a dense spheric crown
Crown (botany)

The crown of a plant refers to the totality of the plant's aboveground parts, including Plant stem, leaves, and Plant morphology. The crown of woody plants is the branches, twigs and leaves extending from the trunk or main stems....
, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum.






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Acacia nilotica (Thorn mimosa in Australia; Lekkerruikpeul or Scented thorn in South Africa) is a species of Acacia
Acacia

Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Sweden botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773....
 (wattle) native to Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
 and the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
. It is also currently an invasive species
Invasive species in Australia

Invasive species are a serious threat to the native biodiversity of Australia and are an ongoing cost to Agriculture in Australia.The management of weeds costs AUD $3.5 billion yearly....
 of significant concern in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. For the ongoing reclassification of this and other species historically classified under genus Acacia, see the list of Acacia species
List of Acacia species

Several cladistic analyses have shown that the genus Acacia is not monophyletic. While the subg. Acacia and subg. Phyllodineae are monophyletic, subg....
.

Description

Acacia nilotica is a tree 5-20 m high with a dense spheric crown
Crown (botany)

The crown of a plant refers to the totality of the plant's aboveground parts, including Plant stem, leaves, and Plant morphology. The crown of woody plants is the branches, twigs and leaves extending from the trunk or main stems....
, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm long in young trees, mature trees commonly without thorns. The leaves are bipinnate, with 3-6 pairs of pinnulae and 10-30 pairs of leaflets each, tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last pair of pinnulae. Flowers in globulous heads 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden-yellow color, set up either axillary or whorly on peduncle
Peduncle

The term peduncle has several meanings:*Peduncle , a stalk supporting an inflorescence*Cerebral peduncle, a band of neurons, resembling a stalk, which connect varied parts of the brain...
s 2-3 cm long located at the end of the branches. Pods are strongly constricted, hairy, white-grey, thick and softly tomentose. Its seeds number approximately 8000/kg.

Distribution

Scented Thorn Acacia is native from Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
 south to Mozambique
Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest....
 and Natal through to Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and Burma. It has become widely naturalised outside its native range including Zanzibar, and Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
. Acacia nilotica is restricted to riverine habitats and seasonally flooded areas within its native range however in its introduced range it is spread by livestock and grows outside riparian areas .

Uses


Forage and fodder

In part of its range smallstock consume the pods and leaves, but elsewhere it is also very popular with cattle
Cattle

Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domestication ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. They are raised as livestock for meat , dairy products , leather and as draft animals ....
. Pods are used as a supplement to poultry
Poultry

Poultry is the category of domesticated birds which some people keep for the purpose of collecting their egg , or kill for their meat and/or feathers....
 rations in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. Dried pods are particularly sought out by animals on rangelands. In India branches are commonly lopped for fodder
Fodder

In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs....
. Pods are best fed dry as a supplement, not as a green fodder.

Hedges

A. nilotica makes a good protective hedge because of its thorns.

Medicine


Bark
According to Hartwell, African Zulu
Zulu

The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
 take bark for cough
Cough

A cough , in medicine, is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defense reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes....
. It acts as an astringent
Astringent

An astringent substance is a chemical that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"....
 and it is used to treat diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
, dysentery
Dysentery

Dysentery is a disorder of the digestive system that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If untreated, Dysentery can be fatal....
, and leprosy
Leprosy

Leprosy , or Hansen's disease , is a Chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the Peripheral nervous system and Mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom....
.

Bark and root
Maasai
Maasai

The Maasai are an Indigenous peoples African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well-known African ethnic groups internationally....
 are intoxicated by the bark and root decoction, said to impart courage
Courage

Courage, also known as bravery, will, intrepidity, and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, Risk, uncertainty, or intimidation....
, even aphrodisia, and the root is said to cure impotence.

Bark or gum
In West Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, the bark
BARK

BARK was an early Electromechanics. BARK was built using standard phone relays, implementing a 32-bit binary machine and could perform addition in 150 ms and multiplication in 250 ms....
 or gum
GUM

#REDIRECT Gum...
 is used to treat cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
s and/or tumor
Tumor

A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells . Tumor is not synonymous with cancer. A tumor can be Benign neoplasm, Carcinoma in situ or malignant, whereas cancer is by definition malignant....
s (of ear
Ear

The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species....
, eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
, or testicles) and induration
Induration

Induration , a noun, means, in terms of pathology, hardening of an area of the body as a reaction to inflammation, hyperemia, or neoplastic infiltration, or an area or part of the body that has undergone such a reaction....
s of liver
Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
 and spleen
Spleen

The spleen is an organ found in all vertebrate animals. In humans, the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body, where it functions in the destruction of redundant red blood cells, and holds a reservoir of blood....
, condyloma
Condyloma

Condyloma refers to an infection of the genitals. The two subtypes are:* "condylomata acuminata", another term for genital warts - caused by human papilloma virus, types 6 and 11 and others....
s, and excess flesh.

Sap
Sap

Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Baton #Blackjack, another word for a blackjack, an easily concealed Club ....
 or bark
BARK

BARK was an early Electromechanics. BARK was built using standard phone relays, implementing a 32-bit binary machine and could perform addition in 150 ms and multiplication in 250 ms....
, leaves, and young pods are strongly astringent
Astringent

An astringent substance is a chemical that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"....
 due to tannin
Tannin

Tannins are astringent, bitter plant polyphenols that either bind and Precipitation or shrink proteins. The astringency from the tannins is what causes the dry and puckery feeling in the mouth following the consumption of red wine or an unripened fruit....
, and are chewed in Senegal
Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the S?n?gal River in West Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south....
 as an antiscorbutic.

Leaves
The bruised leaves are poulticed and used to treat ulcers.

Resin
In Lebanon
Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic , is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea....
, the resin
Resin

Resin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly Pinophyta. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume....
 is mixed with orange-flower infusion for typhoid convalescence.

Root
The Chipi use the root
Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
 for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacterium, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the...
. In Tonga
Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga in the south Pacific Ocean comprises an archipelago of 171 islands, 48 of them inhabited, stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres in a north-south line....
, the root
Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant body that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial root or aerating ....
 is used to treat tuberculosis
Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a common and often deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacterium, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal system, bones, joints, and even the...
.

Seed pods
Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
ian Nubians
Nubians

The Nubians are an ethnic group originally from northern Sudan, now inhabiting East Africa and some parts of Northeast Africa, such as southern Egypt....
 believe that diabetics may eat unlimited carbohydrates as long as they also consume powdered pods.

Wood
In Italian Africa
Italian Africa

Italian Africa refers to all the Italian colonial territories existing from the 1880s to 1943, and 1949 to 1960....
, the wood is used to treat smallpox
Smallpox

Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning spotted, or varus, meaning "pimple"....
.

In Ethiopia
Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
, certain parts of the tree are used as a lactogogue.

Lumber

The tree's wood is "very durable if water-seasoned" and its uses include tool handles and lumber for boats. The wood has a density of about 1170 kg/m³.

Propagation

There are 5000-16000 seeds/kg.

Subspecies

  • Acacia nilotica subsp. adstringens
    Acacia nilotica subsp. adstringens

    Description Acacia nilotica subsp. adstringens is a perennial tree. It is not listed as being threatened. Some common names for it are Cassie, Piquants Blancs and Piquant Lulu....
     (Schum. & Thonn.) Brenan
    John Patrick Micklethwait Brenan

    John Patrick Micklethwait Brenan was a British botanist. He was born June 19, 1917 in Chislehurst and died September 26, 1985 at Kew.He received his Master of Arts from the University of Oxford in 1940 and began to work at the Imperial Forestry Institute in Oxford....
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. cupressiformis
    Acacia nilotica subsp. cupressiformis

    Acacia nilotica subsp. cupressiformis is a perennial tree native to India and Pakistan. Common names for it include Kabuli Kikar, Ramkanta and Ramkati Babul....
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. hemispherica
    Acacia nilotica subsp. hemispherica

    Acacia nilotica subsp. hemispherica is a perennial tree native to Pakistan. Its uses include forage and wood....
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. indica
    Acacia nilotica subsp. indica

    Acacia nilotica subsp. indica is a perennial tree native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. It is also cultivated in Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Tanzania....
     (Benth.) Brenan
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana
    Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana

    Acacia nilotica subsp. kraussiana is a perennial tree native to Africa. Its uses include chemical products and wood.References ...
     (Benth.) Brenan
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. leiocarpa Brenan
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. nilotica
    Acacia nilotica subsp. nilotica

    Acacia nilotica subsp. nilotica is a perennial tree native to Africa. It has also been introduced to the Indian Ocean area and to the Middle East....
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. subalata
    Acacia nilotica subsp. subalata

    Acacia nilotica subsp. subalata is a perennial tree native to Africa, India and Pakistan. Its uses include forage and wood. A common name for it is Kauria Babul....
     (Vatke) Brenan
  • Acacia nilotica subsp. tomentosa
    Acacia nilotica subsp. tomentosa

    Acacia nilotica subsp. tomentosa is a perennial tree native to Africa, Asia and India....
     (Benth.) Brenan


See also

  • List of Indian timber trees
    List of Indian timber trees

    There are over 150 species of timber which are produced in India. Following are the chief varieties of timber trees which are used for engineering purposes in India:...


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