Acacia muricata (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Acacia muricata (L.) Willd.

Family: Leguminosae - Mimosoideae

Vernacular names

• Spineless acacia, ironwood (En).

Distribution

Originates from the West Indies, introduced into many tropical countries.

Uses

An alternative to Leucaena leucocephala (Lamk) de Wit where the latter is affected by psyllids.

Observations

• Deciduous, small tree up to 10 m tall, stem diameter up to 15 cm, crown thin. Bark grey, smooth. Twigs light green, spineless.
• Leaves bipinnate, alternate; rachis 5-12.5 cm long, with cup-like glands at the bases of 4-6 pairs of secondary axes 7.5-12.5 cm long; leaflets about 12 pairs, obliquely broad-ovate, sides unequal, midrib near one edge, apex and base truncate to rounded.
• Flowers in spikes near the apex of twigs before leaves unfold, 6 mm long, fragrant; calyx and corolla light yellow, 5-lobed; stamens white, exserted.
• Pod linear, flat, elliptical-oblong, 12-16 mm long, 1-2 per spike, 6-12-seeded.

Wood hard, heavy, strong and durable. A. muricata is found in moist forest up to 330 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Harden, G.J. (Editor), 1987-1991. Flora of mainland New South Wales. 4 volumes. New South Wales University Press, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
• Jessop, J.P. & Toelken, H.R. (Editors), 1986. Flora of South Australia. 4th Edition. 4 volumes. South Australia Government Printing Division, Adelaide, Australia. 2248 pp.

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef & L.J.G. van der Maesen