Black babool
Acacia nilotica subsp. indica

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.

There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows and is used in Rajasthan. It grows best on soils which are medium heavy with a good moisture status. It does not like clay soils. It grows in hot arid places. It grows below 500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Central Africa, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Himalayas, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, North Africa, Pakistan, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania

How it is used for food

CAUTION: The seeds have been reported as eaten but are toxic. The seeds eaten over long periods of time are considered to be deleterious to health. The pods are cooked and eaten. The seeds are roasted and eaten. The gum and powdered bark are eaten on the Deccan in India.

Edible parts

Seeds, pods, leaves, bark, gum, vegetable

How it is grown

Trees are grown from seed. They should be sown where required as seedlings do not transplant easily. The seed can be soaked in water for 2 or 3 days or treated with concentrated sulphuric acid for 5 minutes to break the hard seed coat and help them to germinate.

Its other names

Local names

Babool, Babul, Banvalia, Baval, Gobbli, Jaali, Karivelan, Karuvelei, Kikar, Nallatumma

Synonyms

Acacia arabica Willd.; Acacia arabica sensu Brenan; Mimosa arabica Lamk.; Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile var. indica (Benth.) A. F. Hill;