Broome Pindan Wattle
Acacia eriopoda
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. They grow in red sand. It grows in the Great Sandy Desert in NW Australia. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Australia (country/location of origin), Niger, Sahel, Senegal, West Africa
How it is used for food
The seed are eaten. The tree often has edible grubs. The gum is high in protein and is eaten. The protein content of the gum is recorded as being 42%.
Edible parts
Seeds, gum
How it is grown
Trees flower April to July and form pods from September to October.
Its other names
Local names
Irgul