Vachellia xanthophloea (Benth.) Banfi & Galasso

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree 3–30 m tall; bark on trunk yellowish, becoming powdery; branchlets glabrous, outer layer soon flaking off to expose greenish-yellow inner layer

Morphology General Spines

Stipular spines in pairs, 1–8.5 cm long

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous or almost so; pinnae (1–)3–6(–8) pairs; leaflets 8–17 pairs, 2.5–6.5 x 0.75–1.75 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow, white or purplish (colour not known in Somalia) in heads; peduncles 0.8–2.9 cm long, with involucel basal or in the lower half

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1–1.7 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.2–3.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight or slightly curved, brown, 3–13.5 x 0.7–1.4 cm, often irregularly constricted between some of the seeds, indehiscent, valves thin, reticulate-veined, glabrous or almost so.

Distribution

N2, 3 Kenya and southwards to NE South Africa.

Ecology

Altitude range 600–1250 m.

Vernacular

Maraa-cad (Somali)

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree 10–25 m. high; bark on trunk lemon-coloured to greenish-yellow.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets brown to plum-coloured, almost glabrous and with some sessile reddish glands; twigs showing conspicuous pale yellow powdery bark.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules spinescent, straight or almost so, varying in length, up to 7 (–8.5) cm. long; “ant-galls” and other prickles absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves:rhachis (2.5–)3–7 cm. long, glabrous to sparingly pubescent; pinnae 3–6(–8) pairs (on juvenile shoots sometimes to 10 pairs) per leaf; leaflets rather numerous, 2.5–6.5 mm. long, 0.75–1.75 mm. wide; lateral nerves invisible beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers varying from white or purplish to yellow or golden (see note below).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncles sparingly (rarely rather densely) pubescent to subglabrous, and glandular below and sometimes also above the involucel, usually (at least) on abbreviated lateral shoots whose axes do not elongate and are represented by clustered scales, the peduncles thus appearing to be in lateral fascicles on the older often yellow-barked twigs whose leaves have fallen.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles

Involucel conspicuous, 3–3.5 mm. long, near base of to about half-way up peduncle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1–1.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (Fig. 16/36, p. 67) indehiscent, linear-oblong, straight or slightly curved, ± moniliform with segments mostly longer than wide, often breaking up, pale brown or brown, reticulate-venose, eglandular or sparingly glandular, (3–) 4–13.5 cm. long, 0.7–1.4 cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds olive to blackish-olive, smooth or nearly so, subcircular to elliptic, compressed, 4.5–5.5 mm. long, 3.5–4 mm. wide; areole 3–3.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide.

Habitat

Ground-water and riverine forest; 600–1980 m.

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K6 K7 T2 T3 T4 T5 T7

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zambezian woodland, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone ; woodland., Somalia-Masai woodland

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

Vernacular

Fever Tree

Leguminosae, J.P.M. Brenan. Flora Zambesiaca 3:1. 1970

Morphology General Habit

Tree (6)10-25 m. high; bark on trunk lemon-coloured to greenish-yellow; young branchlets brown to plum-coloured, almost glabrous and with some sessile reddish glands; twigs showing conspicuous pale-yellow powdery bark.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules spinescent, varying in length up to 7(8·5) cm. long, straight or almost so; “ant-galls” and other prickles absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves: rhachis (2·5)3-8 cm. long, glabrous to sparingly pubescent; pinnae 3-6(8) pairs (on juvenile shoots sometimes to 10 pairs) per leaf; leaflets rather numerous, 2·5-6·5 x 0·75-1·75 mm.; lateral nerves invisible beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers varying from white or purplish (not in our area) to yellow or golden (see note below).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Peduncles sparingly (rarely rather densely) pubescent to subglabrous, and glandular below and sometimes also above the involucel, usually (at least) on abbreviated lateral shoots whose axes do not elongate and are represented by clustered scales, the peduncles thus appearing to be in lateral fascicles on the older often yellow-barked twigs whose leaves have fallen off; involucel conspicuous, 3-3·5 mm. long, near the base of to about half-way up the peduncle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1-1·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods indehiscent (3)4-13·5 x 0·7-1·4 cm., linear-oblong, straight or slightly curved, ± moniliform or irregularly constricted here and there with segments mostly longer than wide, often breaking up, pale brown or brown, reticulate-venose, eglandular or sparingly glandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds olive to blackish-olive, 4·5-5·5 x 3·5-4 mm., smooth or nearly so, subcircular to elliptic, compressed; areole3-3·5 x 2 mm.