Mixing
Vachellia seyal
| Red acacia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: |
Angiosperms |
Clade: |
Eudicots |
Clade: |
Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
Clade: |
Mimosoideae |
| Genus: | Vachellia |
| Species: |
V. seyal |
Binomial name | |
Vachellia seyal (Delile) P.J.H.Hurter | |
| Varieties | |
| |
Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Vachellia seyal bark
Vachellia seyal
Vachellia seyal, the red acacia, known also as the shittah tree (the source of shittim wood), is a thorny, 6–10 m (20–33 ft) high tree with a pale greenish or reddish bark. At the base of the 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) feathery leaves there are two straight, light grey thorns, growing to 7–20 cm (2.8–7.9 in) long. The blossoms are displayed in round, bright yellow clusters approximately in 1.5 cm (0.59 in) diameter.
In Vachellia seyal var. fistula, which is more common on heavy clay soils, some of the thorns are swollen and house symbiotic ants.[2]
It is distributed from Egypt to Kenya and west Senegal. In the Sahara, it often grows in damp valleys. It is also found at wadis in the Arabian Peninsula.
Contents
1 Varieties
2 Hybrids
3 Uses
3.1 Gum arabic
3.2 Tanning
3.3 Wood
3.4 Medicinal uses
3.4.1 Bark
3.4.2 Gum
3.4.3 Wood
4 References
Varieties
Two varieties are recognized:[3][4]
Vachellia seyal var. fistula (Schweinf.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia seyal var. seyal (Delile) P.J.H.Hurter
Hybrids
Vachellia seyal occasionally hybridizes with V. xanthophloea.
Uses
Gum arabic
Vachellia seyal is, along with other Vachellias, an important source for gum arabic, a natural polysaccharide, that exudes from damaged stems and solidifies.[5]
The gum of Vachellia seyal is called gum talha, from the Arabic name of the tree: ( Talh).
Tanning
Parts of the tree have a tannin content of up to 18-20%. The bark and seed pods of Vachellia seyal var. seyal have a tannin content of about 20%.[4]
Wood
Wood from the tree is said to have been used in Ancient Egypt to make coffins and also the Ark of the Covenant.[6]
Medicinal uses
Acacia tree in Ein Khadra Desert Oasis, Nuweibaa, South Sinai, Egypt.
Bark
The bark is used to treat dysentery and bacterial infections of the skin, such as leprosy. The bark is also used as a stimulant.[5]
Gum
The gum is used as an aphrodisiac, to treat diarrhoea, as an emollient, to treat hemorrhaging, inflammation of the eye, intestinal ailments and rhinitis. The gum is used to ward off arthritis and bronchitis.[5]
Wood
Incense from the wood is used to treat pain from rheumatism and to keep expectant mothers from contracting rhinitis and fevers.[5]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vachellia seyal. |
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Wikispecies has information related to Vachellia seyal |
^ ILDIS LegumeWeb
^
Young, T.P.; Cynthia H. Stubblefield; Lynne A. Isbell (December 1996). "Ants on swollen-thorn acacias: species coexistence in a simple system". Oecologia. 109 (1): 98–107. doi:10.1007/s004420050063. Retrieved 2008-01-21..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ ILDIS
^ ab "Tables (Cont. c)". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
^ abcd Purdue University
^ Vachellia seyal in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database
Acacia seyal in West African plants – A Photo Guide.
- Arbonnier, M. Arbres, arbustes et the lianes zones seches d'Afrique de l'Ouest. CIRAD. Montpellier, 2000
ISBN 2-87614-431-X
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