Vachellia nilotica

Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb., Plant-book, ed. 3:1021. 2008; Acacia arabica Willd., Sp. Pl. 4: 1085. 1806; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1. 189. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Baker. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind.2: 293. 1879; Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Delile, Fl. Aegypt. III. 79. 1813; Brenan in Hubbard & Milne-Redhead, Fl. Trop. East Afr. (Mimosoideae) 109. 1959; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org; Mimosa arabica Lam., Encycl. 1: 19. 1783; Mimosa nilotica Linn. Sp. Pl. 521. 1753.

A moderate-sized evergreen tree, 12-18 m tall, bark dark brown or blackish with longitudinal fissures, young twigs pubescent or glabrous. Stipular spines in pairs, straight, subulate, large on young plants, small or absent on old plants, ivory-white, up to 5 (-8) cm long. Leaves alternate, bipinnate; rachis 2.5-7.5 cm long, downy, pubescent; pinnae (2-) 3-10 (-11) pairs, 1.2-4 cm long; leaflets 10-25 pairs, 2.5-5 mm x 0.5-1.5 mm, subsessile, glabrous or rarely so, oblong, ovate-oblong or obovate, apex rounded, margin entire, base oblique. Leaves often with 1-2 petiolar glands and others between all or only the topmost pair of pinnae. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, bright yellow, in globose pedunculate heads, 6-20 mm in diameter; peduncles 1.2- 2.5 cm long, slender, downy, pubescent, in axillary fascicles of 2-6; involucel of 2-4 bracts, above the middle of peduncle, bracts minute, ovate, acute. Calyx 1-1.2 mm long, campanulate, 5-toothed, pubescent or subglabrous. Corolla twice as long as calyx, campanulate, 5-toothed; teeth 0.5 mm long, triangular, yellow. Stamens indefinite, free, filaments much exserted, 4-5 mm long; anthers small, eglandular. Ovary pubescent, stipitate, unilocular, ovules many, placentation marginal; style filiform; stigma small, terminal. Legumes 7-20 cm x 1.2-1.5 cm, moniliform, compressed, straight or curved, densely grey-tomentose, subindehiscent. Seeds 8-14, blackish brown, smooth, 7-9 mm x 6-7 mm, subcircular, compressed.

Flowering and Fruiting: July to November
Common Names: Gum Arabic, Thorn Mimosa, Egyptian Acacia, Thorny Acacia; Babool, Kikkar (Hindi)