Senegalia ataxacantha
Senegalia ataxacantha | |
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Summer | |
Winter | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
Genus: | Senegalia |
Species: | S. ataxacantha
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Binomial name | |
Senegalia ataxacantha (DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
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Synonyms | |
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Senegalia ataxacantha, commonly known as the flame thorn, is an African tree species with conspicuous red pods and numerous hooked prickles.
Range
It is widespread in
Description
Its normal habit is that of a multi-stemmed, untidy, large shrub with a tendency for the shoots to scramble using their recurved prickles, and often develops into a single-stemmed tree of 5-10m in height and 300mm trunk diameter. The rounded crown of dense, dark green foliage is composed of very small
Flowers occur as clusters of off-white or cream-coloured terminal spikes which are fragrant and bloom during spring and summer.[1] The timber, resembling that of Acacia melanoxylon, often has heart rot, but when sound is of good quality and handsomely streaked in black, dark brown, purple and cream, with markedly contrasting off-white sapwood.
The appearance of this species may be confused with Senegalia caffra which differs by having paired prickles, stouter pods and greyish-green markedly pendent foliage.
Uses
Traditionally, the root bark is used as an aphrodisiac.[2]
See also
Gallery
References
- ^ A Field Guide to the Acacias of Southern Africa - Lynette Davidson, Barbara Jeppe
- OCLC 506229195.
External links
- Media related to Acacia ataxacantha at Wikimedia Commons
- Acacia ataxacantha in West African plants – A Photo Guide.