Acacia brevispica (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007)
| Acacia brevispica (Bekele-Tesemma, 2007) |
Acacia brevispica (Fabaceae, indigenous)
habit
habit
leaves, flowers, fruit
flowers
fruits
Common names
- English: Wait-a-bit thorn
- Amargna: Kentefa, Kontevl, Mezazign
- Borenagna: Gorgor, Hammaress
- Oromugna: Amezaze, Hamarecha, Sokeusa, Qanter, Qwentr
- Somaligna: Furgori, Qorqor
- Wolaytgna: Gwemoriyya
Ecology
A common Acacia species in dry as well as semi-humid parts of Africa, from Ethiopia and Sudan south to South Africa. Found forming thickets together with other shrubs and trees in bushland. It grows well in Moist and Dry Kolla and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones of Harerge, Bale, Welo, Sidamo, Gamo Gofa, Kefa and Shoa regions, 400–2,000 m.
Uses
Firewood, medicine (roots), fodder (pods and leaves), live fence.
Description
Sometimes a slender tree to 7 m but more often a shrub, forming thickets, or scrambling over other plants.
- BARK: Light grey–pale brown; young stems green, hairy, often zigzag.
- THORNS: Characteristic, small, single prickles, mostly hooked, scattered along the stems.
- LEAVES: Compound, 5–20 pairs of pinnae, leaf stalk to 10 cm.
- FLOWERS: Fragrant, yellowwhite in round heads on branching stalks to 10 cm. The shrub is very noticable when in flower over large areas.
- FRUIT: Pods, usually straight to 15 cm, rough brown, thin, so seeds inside are visible, splits open easily on the tree.
Propagation
Seedlings, direct sowing at site.
Seed
7,000–9,000 seed per kg.
- Treatment: Immerse in hot water, allow to cool and soak for 24 hours.
- Storage: Seed stores well.
Management
Fairly fast growing. Coppicing. First height pruning and stem reduction helps to improve the stalk.
Remarks
Can be a troublesome weed in pasture. It commonly regenerates even after burning and clearing. However, it is a good fodder to fatten goats and cattle, which eat the young pods and leaves.
