Acacia senegal (L.) Willd.
ثور ، ثمار، قنبة، هشاب، الصمغ العربي
For people
- Eaten by people
- Edible
- Toxic to people
- Not toxic
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Good fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Not toxic
Edibility and safety notes
The gum that oozes from the trunk and branches is edible: it is gum arabic (food additive E414), the only acacia gum evaluated as a safe food additive. The dried seeds are eaten cooked as a pulse in Rajasthan (India); they should not be eaten raw. Leaves and pods are a valuable browse for goats, sheep and camels, and Feedipedia found no reports of toxicity. Beware of the small hooked prickles.
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Description
A small, thorny, deciduous tree usually 5-12 m tall (up to 15 m), with a rounded to flat-topped crown, shedding its leaves in the dry season. The branches bear short dark prickles, usually in threes, the central one hooked downwards. Leaves bipinnate. Flowers yellowish-white and fragrant, in cylindrical spikes 5-10 cm long. Pods flat and straight, about 7 x 2 cm, with 3-6 seeds. Gum arabic exudes from the bark.
Habitat
Semi-desert regions on rocky slopes, sandy soils, clay plains and cotton soils. Grows where annual rainfall is 380-2280 mm. Tolerant of drought but cannot survive frost.
Distribution
Native to semi-desert regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, Oman, Pakistan and west coastal India. Main populations in Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
Pastoral value
New foliage very useful as forage. Leaves and pods browsed by domestic and wild ruminants. Fixes nitrogen in soil through root nodules, enriching poor soils.
Other uses
Of great economic importance for gum arabic production, used as food additive, stabilizer in food and soft drink industry, in crafts and cosmetics. Gum is water-soluble and edible.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.104)
- Feedipedia - Gum arabic tree (Acacia senegal) — feedipedia.org
- Useful Tropical Plants - Acacia senegal — tropical.theferns.info
- Wikipedia - Senegalia senegal — en.wikipedia.org
- Feedipedia - Gum arabic tree (Acacia senegal) — feedipedia.org
- Useful Tropical Plants - Senegalia senegal — tropical.theferns.info
From the same family
All in this family
Fabaceae
Salam tree, Desert acacia
Acacia ehrenbergiana Hayne.
Fabaceae
Red thorn, Grey-haired acacia, Talh
Acacia gerrardii Benth.
Fabaceae
Gum arabic tree, Babul, Thorn mimosa, Egyptian acacia, Thorny acacia
Acacia nilotica (L.) Del.
Fabaceae
Umbrella thorn, Umbrella thorn acacia, Israeli babool
Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne.