''Vachellia flava'', synonym ''Acacia ehrenbergiana'', is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of drought-resistant bush or small tree, commonly known as salam in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. It is found in the Sahara, the northern Sahel, parts of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.

Description

''Vachellia flava'' is a tall shrub or small tree, seldom exceeding in height. It is much branched, the trunk has dark brown, shaggy bark and the branches are green or brown with shiny, peeling bark. The compound leaves are small, with up to four pairs of

pinnae The auricle or auricula is the visible part of the ear that is outside the head. It is also called the pinna (Latin for "wing" or " fin", plural pinnae), a term that is used more in zoology. Structure The diagram shows the shape and location ...

, each with eight to twelve pairs of pinnules. Growing in the leaf axils are paired white thorns which are up to in length and longer than the leaves. The fluffy, golden-yellow flowers are globular and about in diameter. The seeds pods are flattened and curved with constrictions between the seeds. This shrub resembles the red acacia (''

Vachellia seyal ''Vachellia seyal'', the red acacia, known also as the shittah tree (the source of shittim wood), is a thorny, 6– to 10-m-high (20 to 30 ft) tree with a pale greenish or reddish bark. At the base of the feathery leaves, two straight, ligh ...

'') but that species lives in habitats with higher precipitation and has thorns that are shorter than its leaves. It also resembles '' Vachellia hockii'' but that species has leaves that usually have only one or two pinnae.

Distribution and habitat

''Vachellia flava'' is native to the central and southern Sahara and the northern part of the Sahel but is uncommon in the western Sahara. It also occurs in East Africa and Arabia. It is a very drought-tolerant species and can survive in areas with a rainfall range of between per annum. It is typically found growing in shallow depressions and gullies, positions where water can be expected to seep into the ground on the rare occasions when rain falls. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the plant as being of "

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

" as it is common across its large range, the population is stable and it is often the dominant vegetation type in the areas in which it grows. Nevertheless, it is important that it is not over-exploited because of its importance to indigenous people.

Uses

The foliage of ''Vachellia flava'' is used for livestock feed and the trees are sometimes

pollarded Pollarding is a pruning system involving the removal of the upper branches of a tree, which promotes the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches. In ancient Rome, Propertius mentioned pollarding during the 1st century BCE. The practice oc ...

for this purpose. It is an important fodder plant for camels, goats and sheep and the flowers are visited by bees which make "acacia honey" from the nectar. The timber is used for charcoal and firewood, the bark for fibre to be wound into ropes, and the

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...

produces a low quality gum which oozes from damaged parts of the trunk. An ointment is made from the plant's ground up tissues.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q50880777, from2=Q5880988 flava Flora of the Arabian Peninsula Flora of East Tropical Africa Flora of Iran Flora of North Africa Flora of Northeast Tropical Africa Flora of West Tropical Africa Sahel Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN