Skip to main content

Acacia cochliacantha

Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.

Boat-spine acacia

Fabaceae Edible: Seeds

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Brenda Navarro Alvarado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Brenda Navarro Alvarado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

(c) Brenda Navarro Alvarado, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Description

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

Edible Uses

The young seeds can be eaten fresh, or the seeds can be ground into powder and used for tortillas.

Traditional Uses

The young seeds can be eaten fresh. The seeds are also ground into powder and used for tortillas.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Central America, Mexico, North America,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds. Seeds are soaked in boiling water that is then allowed to cool and the are soaked for another 24-48 hours. Seedlings can be transplanted from the nursery after 4 months.

Notes

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

Synonyms

Acacia cochliacantha S. WatsonAcacia cymbacantha Benth.Acacia cymbispina Sprague & RileyAcacia milleriana StandleyMimosa campechiana MillerMimosa cochliacantha PoiretPoponax campechiana (Miller) Britton & RosePoponax houghii Britton & Rose

Also Known As

Cubata

References (3)

  • Felger, R.S., Ancient Crops for the Twenty first century, in Rickie, G.A., (ed), 1979, New Agricultural Crops, AAAS Selected Symposium 38. Westview Press, Colarado. p 10
  • Sp. pl. 4(2):1081. 1806
  • Yetman, D., 2002, The Guarijios of the Sierra Madre: Hidden People of Northwestern Mexico. University of New Mexico Press. p 197

More from Fabaceae