Acacia nilotica

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows near rivers. It grows from sea level to 500 m above sea level. It can tolerate seasonal flooding. It can with stand drought. It is highly salt tolerant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, East Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinee-Bissau, Kenya, India, Libya, Mali, Middle East, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, United Arab Emirates, UAE, West Africa, Yemen

How it is used for food

It is used for fermentation and for jam. The gum is chewed. The seeds are roasted and eaten.

Edible parts

Gum, pods, fruit, leaves, seeds

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Babool, Babul, Baval, Kikar, Kikhar, Kikr, Musemei, Musemeli, Qaradh, Sindhi babur, Sunt, Sunut

Synonyms

Acacia arabica (Lam.) Willd.; Mimosa arabica Lam.; and others