Vachellia seyal (Delile) P.J.H.Hurter

[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit: Tree up to 9 m high with usually flattened crown; young branchlets almost glabrous, epidermis reddish, conspicuously flaking off to expose a greyish or reddish powdery under-surface
Morphology General Bark: Bark on trunk powdery, white to greenish yellow or orange red
Morphology General Spines: Stipular spines up to 8 cm long, some sometimes basally inflated and fused into bilobed “ant-galls”
Morphology Leaves: Pinnae 3–7 pairs; leaflets 11–20 pairs, 3–8 x 0.7–1.5 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers bright yellow, in heads; involucel in lower half of peduncle, often subtending a few additional flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx 2–2.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Corolla 3.5–4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Pods ± falcate and constricted between the seeds, dehiscent, 7–20 x 0.5–0.9 cm, finely longitudinally veined, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds: Seeds elliptic, compressed, 7–9 x 4.5–5 mm; areole 5–6 x 2.5–3.5 mm.

[FWTA]

Mimosaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit: Loosely branched, more or less flat-topped tree, to 40 ft. high
Morphology General Bark: Bark of young branchlets reddish-brown, soon flaking off to expose a powdery surface; bark of older stems covered with pale yellow to red powder, exfoliating in subrectangular pieces green at first but becoming brown
Note: Trees of similar size in the same area often show the full range of colour
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers bright yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Fruits split and remain on the tree.

[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit: Tree (2)3-9(12) m. high; bark on trunk powdery, white to greenish-yellow or orange-red; young branchlets with few sparse hairs to almost glabrous and with numerous reddish sessile glands (rarely, and not in our area, rather densely puberulous); epidermis of twigs becoming reddish and conspicuously flaking off to expose a greyish or ± reddish powdery bark.
Morphology Leaves Stipules: Stipules spinescent, up to 8 cm. long; “ant-galls” present or not; other prickles absent.
Morphology Leaves: Leaves often with a rather large gland on the petiole and between the top 1-2 pairs of pinnae; pinnae (2)3-7(8) pairs; leaflets (7)11-20 pairs, 3-8(10) x 0·75-1·5(3) mm., in our area sparingly ciliolate to glabrous; lateral nerves invisible beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers bright-yellow, in axillary pedunculate heads 10-13 mm. in diam. borne on terminal or short lateral shoots of the current season; involucel in the lower half of the peduncle, 2-4 mm. long; apex of bracteoles rounded to elliptic, sometimes pointed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx 2-2·5 mm. long, inconspicuously puberulous in upper part.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Corolla 3·5-4 mm. long, glabrous outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Pods dehiscent, (5)7-20(22) x 0·5-0·9 cm., linear, ± falcate, ± constricted between the seeds, finely longitudinally veined, glabrous except for some sessile glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds: Seeds olive to olive-brown, 7-9 x 4·5-5 mm., faintly and minutely wrinkled, elliptic, compressed; areole 5-6 x 2·5-3·5 mm.

[ILDIS]

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation: Not Threatened
Ecology: Africa: Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Sudanian woodland, Zambezian wooded grassland, Somalia-Masai wooded grasslands., Sahel regional transition zone; bushland and thicket
Morphology General Habit: Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree
Vernacular: Gum Arabic Tree, Shittim Wood, Thirty Thorn, Whistling Tree

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit: Tree 3–9 (–12) m. high; bark on trunk powdery, white to greenish-yellow or orange-red.
Morphology Branches: Young branchlets almost glabrous and with numerous reddish sessile glands (rarely, and not in E. Africa, rather densely puberulous); epidermis of twigs becoming reddish and conspicuously flaking off to expose a greyish or ± reddish powdery bark.
Morphology Leaves Stipules: Stipules spinescent, up to 8 cm. long; “ant-galls” present or not; other prickles absent.
Morphology Leaves: Leaves often with a rather large gland on the petiole and between the top 1–2 pairs of pinnae; pinnae (2–)3–7(–8) pairs; leaflets (7–)11–20 pairs, 3–8(–9) mm. long, 0.75–1.5(–3) mm. wide, in our area sparingly ciliolate to glabrous; lateral nerves invisible beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers: Flowers bright yellow, in axillary pedunculate heads 10–13 mm. in diameter; involucel in lower half of peduncle, 2–4 mm. long; apex of bracteoles rounded to elliptic, sometimes pointed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx: Calyx 2–2.5 mm. long, inconspicuously puberulous above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla: Corolla 3.5–4 mm. long, glabrous outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits: Pods (Fig. 15/32, p. 66) dehiscent, linear, ± falcate, ± constricted between the seeds, finely longitudinally veined, glabrous except for some sessile glands, (5–)7–20(–22) cm. long, 0.5–0.9 cm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds: Seeds olive to olive-brown, faintly and minutely wrinkled, elliptic, compressed, 7–9 mm. long, 4.5–5 mm. wide; areole 5–6 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. wide.

[ILDIS]

Use: Chemical products, Environmental, Forage, Miscellaneous, Wood

Doubtfully present in:

Mauritania

Native to:

Algeria, Benin, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Repu, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia

Introduced into:

Florida, Honduras, Texas

Acacia seyal Delile