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Acacia senegal

Authority	(L.) Willd.
Family	Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Fabales:Leguminosae
Synonyms	Acacia rupestris Stokes, Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. ssp. senegalensis (Houtt.) Roberty, Acacia trispniosa Stocks ex Boiss., Acacia veruk Guill. et Perr., Acacia volkii Susseng, Mimosa senegal L.
Common names	acacia du senegal, alloba, Arabicumbaum, asharat, cape gum, dakwara, debehi, goma arábica, gommier, gum acacia, gum arabic, Gummibaum, hashab, kikwata, kumut, Sudan gum arabic, three-thorned acacia, Turkey gum, umKhala
Editor
Ecocrop code	2697

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A thicket forming shrub of 3 m or a small, deciduous, spiny tree with a short trunk and a flattened crown reaching 6-13 m in height. USES Gum arabica is extracted through wounds made in the trunk and branches and used in food, beverages, medicines, confectionery and industrial products. The wood can be used for poles, fenceposts, tool handles, cabinet work, firewood, and charcoal. Surface roots may be used for fiber. Leaves can be used as forage and the seeds are edible. The tree can provide erosion control, sand dune stabilization, and be used for soil rehabilitation. It is mentioned as a possible agroforestry species. GROWING PERIOD Relatively slow-growing perennial short-lived. Begin to bear between 4-18 years of age, and the natural life of the tree is usually 25-30 years. Withstands a drought period of 8-11 months. COMMON NAMES Gum arabic tree, Gommier, Goma, Gum arabic, Gum acacia, Khor, Kumta, Hashab, Debehi, Delbi, Patouki, Patourni, Patterlahi, Erwarwar, Akarouba, Hashab, Alloba, Subahi, Um Gebala, Edad, Adad, Adad Medu, Ekonoit, Ol-Munishui, Kikwata, Drievingerdoring, Gomdoring. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: A. verek, A. rupestris, A. trispinosa, Mimosa senegal. Gum arabic tree can be found naturally occurring within the latitudinal range 11-18°N. It can be found between sea level and 1700 m in elevation. The tree is very hardy and drought-resistant, it can survive extreme conditions, such as hot dry winds and sandstorms. It is widespread in dry savanna forests and is found on poor rocky soils, sand hills, and sand dunes. It is nitrogen fixing. It can form thorny thickets and become a serious weed. It require wide spacing and generates rapidly. Optimum annual wood production is 4-7 m3/ha.
Sources
Grassland Index Webb D 1984 pp 96 [RAIN, TEMP, TEXT, PH, DRA, DEP, LIG, USE] AGLS A 1991 pp 31 40 Duke J 1981 pp 12-14 [DRA, DEP, RAIN, TEMP, PH] Troup R 1921 pp 460 Skerman P 1988 pp 524-526 [USE] National RC 1980 pp 102 National RC 1983c pp 72 [TEMP, RAIN, DRA, TEXT, DRA] INSPIRE species 13 [RAIN, TEMP, TEXT, PH, DRA, DEP, LIG, USE] IBPGR 1984 pp 17 Maydell H 1986 pp 133-135 [DRA, RAIN, TEMP, KTMP, TEXT, DRA, PH] Little E 1983 pp 28-31 [TEMP, KTMP, RAIN, TEXT, DEP, FER, USE] Hensleight T 1988 pp 369 [TEMP, RAIN, TEXT, DRA, USE]