Vachellia seyal

Vachellia seyal, the red acacia, known also as the shittah tree (the source of shittim wood), is a thorny, 6– to 10-m-high (20 to 30 ft) tree with a pale greenish or reddish bark.

Description

A small tree. It grows 3-12 m altitude. The bark is a distinctive powdery white to pale green or orange. It has thorns which occur in pairs. They are white and can be 8 cm long. The leaves are twice divided and there are 3-7 pairs of leaflets. The flowers occur in large numbers. They are yellow and in large round heads. These are about 1 cm across. The fruit are narrow curved pods. These are shiny and light brown. They are slightly constricted between the seeds. They are 7-20 cm long.

Edible Uses

An edible gum is obtained from the bark and eaten fresh, though it has a slightly acid taste. It is also mixed with pulp from the fruit of Balanites aegyptiaca to make a syrup.

Traditional Uses

The bark yields an edible gum. It is mixed with the pulp of Balanites aegyptiaca to form a syrup. The inner bark is chewed for its sweet taste.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The bark, leaves, and gums are used for colds, diarrhoea, haemorrhage, jaundice, headache, and burns. A bark decoction is used against leprosy and dysentery, acts as a stimulant, and serves as a purgative for both humans and animals. Exposure to smoke from the plant is believed to relieve rheumatic pains. A root decoction mixed with leaves of Combretum glutinosum and curdled milk causes strong diuresis.

Known Hazards

Especially in times of drought, many Acacia species can concentrate high levels of the toxin Hydrogen cyanide in their foliage, making them dangerous for herbivores to eat.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands and the highlands. It grows in the semi arid zones. It grows in the Sahel. It grows from 600-1,200 m altitude in Uganda. It grows between 20-2,200 m above sea level. It grows in hot arid areas. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 100-2,280 mm. It can grow in alkaline soils and possibly tolerate some salt. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa*, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Gambia, Ghana, Himalayas, India, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. If fresh seed are used they can just be sown. Dry seed needs to soaked in cold water for 24 hours. Seed can be stored for several years if kept cool, dry and free from insects. It can be used as a hedge.

Propagation

The hard seedcoat must be scarified to allow water uptake, after which seeds should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water before sowing. Germination is best at around 21°C. Treated seed typically achieves around 30% germination in about 7 days. Seeds are often germinated on moist filter paper to identify viable seeds quickly; these are then transferred to deep containers of silt-rich soil as soon as germination is observed. Plants develop a deep taproot and resent root disturbance, so should be planted into permanent positions as early as possible. Seed storage behaviour is orthodox, and viability can be maintained for several years in hermetic storage at 10°C with 4.5–9% moisture content. Semi-ripe cuttings of lateral shoots can also be used, and large cuttings are reported to strike root readily in moist soils. Root suckers can also be used for propagation.

Other Uses

The plant's root system makes it a good soil stabilizer. A gum arabic known as talha gum is obtained from the trunk. It is darker and inferior in quality to the gum arabic of Acacia senegal, but accounts for 10% of Sudanese gum exported to India and Europe. Talha gum does not meet food industry requirements as it has not been toxicologically evaluated and contains tannins; however, its clarity and solubility make it attractive for non-food industrial applications. The gum is mixed with soot and powdered Nubian sandstone to make black and red inks. Pods and bark contain 20% tannin; the bark specifically contains 18–30% tannins and is a source of red dye. Smoke from burning the wood acts as a fumigant against insects and lice. Chemicals in the bark kill the freshwater snails that carry bilharzia parasites and algae growing in ponds. Methanolic bark extracts display algicidal properties when applied to ponds, and molluscidal properties have been demonstrated using spray-dried powder of ethyl extracts, which are effective against the schistosomiasis vectors Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus truncatus. The roots are used for making staves and the bark for rope. The fibre shows promising technological characteristics for use as particleboard. Branches are commonly cut to make fences; the thorny branches are well suited to this purpose and last about 2 years. The wood ranges from pale yellow to medium brown, with localised pinkish-brown patches and some dark mahogany-red heartwood in older or larger individuals. When grown with few knots and straight grain, treated with insecticide after felling and with preservatives thereafter, the timber is hard, tough, and works well. It produces a hard, dark wood known as shittim wood with interlocked, irregular, coarse-textured grain that takes a good polish but is susceptible to insect attack and must be properly treated by splitting, soaking in water for several weeks, and then thoroughly drying. Shittim wood was used by ancient Egyptians for pharaohs' coffins. The wood makes good, dense firewood that is highly valued throughout its range. The smoke is pleasantly fragrant and the wood burns relatively quickly. In Sudan, it is used to make a fragrant fire over which women perfume themselves. The species is an important source of rural energy as both firewood and charcoal.

Production

It grows at a medium pace.

Other Information

300-600 t of gum are exported.

Notes

There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. Also as Mimosaceae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Agagi, Ali, Ekaramai, Ekoromai, Ekoromoi, Epujaiit, Gum arabic tree, Katuka, Lalwilwi, Mgunga, Muiguiria, Mwera, Sade, Seyal acacia, Sittim wood, Takla, Talh, Thirsty-thorn, Wacu, Wajo, White-galled acacia, White whistling thorn, White thorn

References (35)

• Addis. G. et al, 2013, The Role of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants in Household Food Sovereignty in Hamer and Konso Communities, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 11:251-271 (As Acacia seyal)
• Anywar, G., et al, 2014, Wild Plants Used as Nutraceuticals from Nebbi District, Uganda. European Journal of medicinal Plants. 4(6):641-660 (As Acacia seyal)
• Ballal, M. E., et al, 2014, Ethno-botany of Natural Forests of Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan State, Sudan. Journal of Forest Poducts & Industries. 3(1):13-19 (As Acacia seyal)
• Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 5 (As Acacia seyal)
• Bekele-Tesemma A., Birnie, A., & Tengnas, B., 1993, Useful Trees and Shrubs for Ethiopia. Regional Soil Conservation Unit. Technical Handbook No 5. p 64 (As Acacia seyal)

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