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Acacia farnesiana [family FABACEAE]

Date Updated: 19 August 2007

Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Flora of Southern Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of South Africa, (2003) Author: Dr J.P. Roux
Names
Acacia farnesiana [family FABACEAE]
Common names
Mimosa farnesiana L., Sp. PI. 1 : 521 (1753); Ross in Bothalia 11:471 (1975). Type as above.
Information
Shrub or small tree to 4 m high; young branchlets grey to reddish-brown or purplish, epidermis not obviously peeling off, with numerous somewhat transversely elongated lenticels, glabrous or almost so. Stipules spinescent, in pairs, usually short, up to 1,5(3) cm long, straight, slender, never infla­ted; "ant-galls" and other prickles absent. Leaves bipinnate: petiole sparingly to ± densely pubescent, usually with a small gland; rhachis sparingly to ± densely pubescent, often with a small gland below the junction of the top pinna pair; pinnae 2-7 pairs; leaflets 10-21 pairs, 2-7 x 0,75-1,75 mm, midrib and lateral nerves visible and somewhat raised beneath, glabrous throughout or with few inconspicuous marginal cilia. Inflorescences capitate, on axillary peduncles, solitary or in pairs or threes. Flowers bright golden-yellow, sweetly scented; peduncles sparingly to ± densely pubescent basally, sparingly glandular; involucel apical. Calyx and corolla glabrous except for the apices of the lobes. Pods dark brown to blackish, 4-7,5 x 0,9-1,5 cm, straight or curved, subterete and turgid, glabrous, tardily dehis­cent, finely longitudinally striate. Seeds ch
Habitat
A. farnesiana is grown for ornament and for its fragrant flowers which are used to make perfume. The pods of A. farnesiana are very distinctive and enable the species to be easily recognized. In the absence of pods, it will be helpful to recall that no other African Acacia has the following combination of characters: absence of "ant-galls", leaflets with the lateral nerves raised and somewhat prominent beneath, apical involucels, and bright golden-yellow flowers in non-paniculate heads.
Use
48. Acacia farnesiana (L.) WHid., Sp. PI. 4 : 1083 (1806); Benth. in Fl. Austral. 2 : 419 (1864); Oliv. in F.T.A. 2 : 346 (1871); Benth. in Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 30 : 502 (1875); Bak.f., Leg. Trop. Afr. 3 : 835 (1930); Brenan, Checklist Tang. Terr. 334 (1949); Gilbert & Boutique in F.C.B. 3 : 164 (1952); Torre in C.F.A. 2 : 278 (1956); Keay in F.W.T.A. ed.2, 1 : 499 (1958); Brenan in F.T.E.A. Legum.-Mimos. : 111, fig. 16/38 (1959); in F.Z. 3,1 : 111 (1970); Ross, Fl. Natal 193 (1973); in Bothalia 11 : 465 (1975). Type: Aldinus, Exact. Descr. Rar. Pl.Romae Hort. Farnesiano 4 (1625) (lecto.!).
Range
Probably a native of tropical America, doubt­fully so in Africa. Widely introduced in the tropics and often becoming wild. Only planted or an escape from cultivation in our area.
Acacia farnesiana [family FABACEAE]
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