Kuteera-Gum, White-barked acacia
Vachellia leucophloea

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall. It can grow 35 m high. It loses its leaves during the year. It is spiny. The trunk is straight. The leaves are twice divided. There are 12-30 leaflets. The flowers are dull white. They are in groups made up of several small round heads. The pods are 10-20 cm long. They have a covering over them.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in wasteland and open forest. It grows in dried parts of India. In Timor it grows on heavy clay soils below 300 m altitude in the Savannah. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 450-1,560 mm. It grows in dry shallow soils. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Africa, East Timor, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste,Trinidad-Tobago, Vietnam, West Timor

How it is used for food

The young pods and seeds are used as a vegetable. The seeds are germinated and cooked. The seeds are ground and mixed with flour. The bark is ground and mixed with flour when food is short. The bark is also used to flavour brewed spirit made from sugarcane and palm juice.

Famine food

Edible parts

Gum, pods, seeds, bark, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. The seedlings must have light. The plant can be cut back and will re-grow.

It grows slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Ai-muti, Akasia pilang, Annj, Arinj, Bilijali, Chalep deng, Haribaval, Hewar, Hivur, Hiwar, Jhira, Kabesak, Katu andara, Keo trang, Kikar, Nimbar, Pattacharaya maram, Pilang, Reru, Reunja, Ronj, Safed babul, Safed kikar, Shvetabarbura, Tanaung, Tellatuma, Velva-yalam, Velvel

Synonyms

Mimosa leucophloea Roxb.; Acacia leucophloea Willd.; Acacia arcuata Decne; Delaportea ferox Roxb.; Delaportea microphylla Gagnep.;