Friday, August 12, 2011

Babool - Acacia nilotica

The old concept of Acacia is a genus of about 1350 species spread from Africa around the Indian Ocean, tropical Asia and tropical America and Australia. Recent taxonomic research in Australia and abroad is always stressed that this kind that we knew could not be managed as a single entity. It is likely that Acacia be divided into at least five genres.


Acacia nilotica (Arabic gum tree, Babul, Egyptian thorn tree Sant, acacia Al-ing ou Barbarie called mimosa thorn in Australia or scented thorns nice smell pods South Africa) is a species of acacia (wattle) from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. He is currently an invasive species of major concern in Australia. For reclassification under this and other species historically classified as genus Acacia, see List of Acacia species.
Description: 
Acacia nilotica is a tree 5-20 m high with a dense spherical crown, often dark black trunks and branches, split bark, gray-pink, creating a reddish low quality gum. The tree is thin, straight, light, gray spines axillary pairs, usually 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm in young trees, mature trees often thornless.  
 
The leaves are bipinnate, with 3-6 pairs of leaflets pinnulae and 10-30 pairs of each, Tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last few pinnulae. Flowers in globular heads 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden yellow, stuffed or axillary or whorly on stalks 2-3 cm long located at the ends of the branches. The pods are very narrow, hairy, white-gray, thick and soft Tomentose. Number of seeds 8000/kg.
Uses / applications
Dry food, leaves, leaves and seeds are consumed by a wide range of herbivores. Highly valued as firewood and fodder in semi-arid areas in Africa and India. Used as a pioneer species in soil and as a barrier to desertification. The wood was used for sleepers, poles and firewood production. Non-forage/timber applications gum / resin, tannin / dyestuff Traditional Medicine and Poison vertebrates.

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