Senegalia erubescens

Description

A tree which loses many of its leaves during the year. It is a shrub or small tree. It can grow to 6 m tall. It may have one or many stems. The leaves are yellowish green to grey-green. The bark peels off the trunk. The bark is corky or papery. The young branches are often grey or white. The thorns are short and hooked. They occur in pairs and are very sharp. They are often bluish in colour. The leaves are 4-5 cm long and have about 5 pairs of side branches with 20 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are fat yellow sweet scented spikes. The pods occur in bunches. They are 4-10 cm long and 1.3 cm wide. They are straight, flat, pointed and papery. They are dark brown and are criss-crossed with a network of veins. The edges are thick. The gum is yellow and sweet.

Edible Uses

Gum - raw or cooked. Highly flavoured, it is very sweet and tasty. When fresh, it can be eaten like sweets. When the gum dries it becomes harder and is then usually pounded before being eaten.

Traditional Uses

The gum is eaten raw and is very sweet. The bark is used to help milk curdle.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The bark of all Acacia species contains greater or lesser quantities of tannins and are astringent. Astringents are often used medicinally - taken internally, for example. they are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, and can also be helpful in cases of internal bleeding. Applied externally, often as a wash, they are used to treat wounds and other skin problems, haemorrhoids, perspiring feet, some eye problems, as a mouth wash etc. Many Acacia trees also yield greater or lesser quantities of a gum from the trunk and stems. This is sometimes taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and haemorrhoids.

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 grows in tropical and warm places. It does best in deep sands. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 100-520 mm. It cannot tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagation

The seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5 - 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands, then drying the seeds and winnowing them.

Other Information

The gum is eaten especially by children.

Notes

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

Synonyms

Also Known As

Blouhaak, Gowe, Moloto

References (19)

• Fl. trop. Afr. 2:343. 1871 (As Acacia erubescens)
• Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 32 (As Acacia erubescens)
• Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 200 (As Acacia erubescens)
• Grivetti, 1976, (As Acacia erubescens)
• 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 79 (As Acacia erubescens)

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