Senegalia laeta (R.Br. ex Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or tree up to 6 m high; young branchlets brownish, glabrous

Morphology General Prickles

Prickles in pairs or rarely in threes, hooked, up to 5.5 mm long

Morphology Leaves

Pinnae 2–3 pairs; leaflets 3–5 pairs, ± obovate-elliptic, 4–15 x 2–7 mm, veined

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellowish-white in 3.5–5 cm long spiciform racemes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.25–2 mm long, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.7–4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight, dehiscent, 3.5–8 x (1–)1.7–2.8(–4) cm, pale brown, veined, glabrous or slightly puberulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subcircular, 8–10 mm in diam.; areole 2 x 2 mm.

Distribution

N1–3; C1 Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and westwards to Niger and Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, also in Arabia and the Dead Sea region.

Ecology

Altitude range 240–1350 m.

Vernacular

Bilcil, cadaad (Somali)

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or small tree up to 6 m. high.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets glabrous, grey-brown or rarely purplish.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules not spinescent.

Morphology General Prickles

Prickles in pairs just below each node, purplish-black, hooked, 3–5.5 mm. long, their base about 3–5 mm. long.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves:petiole usually glandular; rhachis glabrous to ± pubescent, frequently with a gland between the top pair of pinnae; pinnae 2–3 pairs; leaflets (2–) 3–5 pairs, 4–15 (–20) mm. long, 2–7 (–10) mm. wide, obliquely obovate-elliptic or -oblong, glabrous or ± puberulous, venose, rounded to mucronate or subacute at apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, subsessile or up to 0.5 (–0.75, very rarely 1) mm. pedicellate, in spiciform racemes 3.5–5 cm. long on peduncles 0.5–2 cm. long; axis glabrous or ± pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.25–2 mm. long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.75–4 mm. long, 5-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen-filaments 5–7 mm. long, free; anthers 0.1 mm. across, with a caducous gland.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary glabrous at first, very shortly stipitate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (Fig. 14/6, p. 52) pale brown, dehiscent, glabrous or slightly puberulous towards base, oblong, straight, venose, rounded to acuminate at apex, 3.5–8 cm. long, 1.7–2.8 (–4) cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subcircular-lenticular, 9 (–10) mm. diam.; central areole small, somewhat impressed, 2 × 2 mm.

Habitat

Deciduous bushland; said by Burtt (T.T.C.L.: 329) to be locally common with Commiphora merkeri and Acacia mellifera on hard-pan soils in desert thornbush, and by Trapnell (2203) to occur with Commiphora and Balanites on sandy loam; Trapnell 2203 was collected at 1680 m.

Distribution

Egypt, French Sudan, the Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland Protectorate and Ethiopia, also in Arabia and the Dead Sea regionaccording to Aubréville also in French Niger Colony, Ivory Coast and Nigeria K6 T2

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sahel regional transition zone - wooded grassland., Sahara regional transition zone; woodland., Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree