Vachellia hockii

(De Wild.) Seigler & Ebinger

Fabaceae Edible: Bark, Gum, Leaves Potential hazards — see below 50 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A shrub or small tree. It grows 2-4 m high. It can be 8 m high. The crown is open. The bark is a greenish-yellow and peels off. It has thorns that are straight and in pairs. The leaves are twice divided. The flowers are in yellow or orange heads. The fruit are reddish brown pods.

Edible Uses

The sweet inner bark is chewed, particularly by children. The gum is eaten when fresh. The leaves are also edible.

Traditional Uses

The inner bark is sweet and is chewed. The gum is also eaten when fresh.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant (part not specified) is used to treat malaria, and is applied topically to treat abscesses. The boiled bark is given to children as a treatment for fever. The root is analgesic, febrifuge, stomachic, vermifuge. A decoction is used as a remedy for hookworm, and also for the treatment of tuberculosis and related ailments. The leaves and young shoots are diuretic, vermifuge. They are used to treat dropsy, gout, oedema and swellings.

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. In Africa it grows from sea level to 2,400 m altitude. It is often on poor soils and rocky grasslands. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 650-900 mm. It can grow in arid places. It grows in moist savannah.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. The seeds should be put into hot water and then allowed to cool for 12 hours before planting. Seeds can be stored if kept cool and dry.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sunny position. Stored seed should be scarified, pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown. The seed germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c. Plants quickly produce a long taproot and are resentful of disturbance - they should be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel in a frame. Fair percentage.

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the bark is used for rope making and basketry. The tree is a good source of tannins. A translucent, reddish exudate gum is obtained from the trunk. It has been marketed as African gum arabic, but is inferior to true gum arabic (from Acacia senegal). It can be used as an adhesive. The wood is hard and straight grained, but is susceptible to termites and decay. In addition, its usually small bole size, and availability of other species, means that it is mainly only used for traditional purposes such as in the construction of homes and shade housing for cattle. Where common, the wood is often used as a source of firewood, and also for making a good quality charcoal. The flowers are sweet scented and are a good source of bee forage.

Production

Plants are slow growing.

Other Information

The bark is chewed especially by children.

Notes

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

Synonyms

Acacia chariensis A. Chev.Acacia hockii De Wild.Acacia seyal Del. var. multijuga Baker f.Acacia oerfota BrenanAcacia holstii Taub.and others

Also Known As

Arumbe, Chanchana, Chaqenti, Chehchehta, Checheha, Chuwan, Cibombo, Dabbasoo, Ekisim, Enchapalani, Kinyua, Lanqey, Mugaa, Munyua, Oriang, Titatil, Tmbbgga, Umugeenge

References (18)

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 hockii)
Addis, G., Asfaw, Z & Woldu, Z., 2013, Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants of Konso Ethnic Community, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 11:121-141
Asfaw, Z. and Tadesse, M., 2001, Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 47-62 (As Acacia hockii)
Ashagre, M., et al, 2016, Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Burji District, Segan Area Zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:32 (As Acacia hockii)
East African Herbarium records, 1981, (As Acacia hockii)

Show all 18 references

Ethiopia: Famine Food Field Guide. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/faminefood/category1.htm (As Acacia hockii)
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 32 (As Acacia hockii)
Gemedo-Dalle, T., et al, 2005, Plant Biodiversity and Ethnobotany of Borana Pastoralists in Southern Oromia, Ethiopia. Economic Botany 59(1) pp. 43-65 (As Acacia hockii)
Glover et al, 1966b, (As Acacia hockii)
Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 45 (As Acacia hockii)
Katende, A.B., Birnie, A & Tengnas B., 1995, Useful Trees and Shrubs for Uganda. Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural and Pastoral Communities. Technical handbook No 10. Regional Soil Conservation Unit, Nairobi, Kenya. p 46 (As Acacia hockii)
Lulekal, E., et al, 2011, Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity. Afrika Focus - Vol. 24, No 2. pp 71-121 (As Acacia hockii)
Maundu, P. et al, 1999, Traditional Food Plants of Kenya. National Museum of Kenya. p 42 (As Acacia hockii)
Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
Ocho, D. L., et al, 2012, Assessing the levels of food shortage using the traffic light metaphor by analyzing the gathering and consumption of wild food plants, crop parts and crop residues in Konso, Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 8:30 (As Acacia hockii)
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 126 (As Acacia hockii)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 26th April 2011] (As Acacia hockii)
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew