Vachellia

Vachellia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, commonly known as thorn trees or acacias. It belongs to the subfamily Mimosoideae. Its species were considered members of genus Acacia until 2009. Vachellia can be distinguished from other acacias by its capitate inflorescences and spinescent stipules. Before discovery of the New World, Europeans in the Mediterranean region were familiar with several species of Vachellia, which they knew as sources of medicine, and had names for them that they inherited from the Greeks and Romans.
The wide-ranging genus occurs in a variety of open, tropical to subtropical habitats, and is locally dominant. In parts of Africa, Vachellia species are shaped progressively by grazing animals of increasing size and height, such as gazelle, gerenuk, and giraffe. The genus in Africa has thus developed thorns in defence against such herbivory.
Nomenclature
By 2005, taxonomists had decided that Acacia sensu lato should be split into at least five separate genera. The ICN dictated that under these circumstances, the name of Acacia should remain with the original type, which was Acacia nilotica. However, that year the General Committee of the IBC decided that Acacia should be given a new type (Acacia verticillatum) so that the ~920 species of Australian acacias would not need to be renamed Racosperma. This decision was opposed by 54.9% or 247 representatives at its 2005 congress, while 45.1% or 203 votes were cast in favor. However, since a 60% vote was required to override the committee, the decision was carried, and a nom. cons. propositum was listed in Appendix III (p. 286). The 2011 congress voted 373 to 172 to uphold the 2005 decision, which means that the name Acacia and a new type follow the majority of the species in Acacia sensu lato, rather than this genus. However, some members of the botanical community remain unconvinced, and the use of Acacia in the scientific literature continues to exceed the use of the new generic names.
Description
The members of Vachellia are trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing, and are always armed. Younger plants, especially, are armed with spines which are modified stipules, situated near the leaf bases. Some (cf. V. tortilis V. luederitzii and V. reficiens) are also armed with paired, recurved prickles (in addition to the spines). The leaves are alternate and bipinnately arranged, and their pinnae are usually opposite. The racemose inflorescences usually grow from the leaf axils. The yellow or creamy white flowers are produced in spherical heads, or seldom in elongate spikes, which is the general rule in the related genus Senegalia. The flowers are typically bisexual with numerous stamens, but unisexual flowers have been noted in V. nilotica (cf. Sinha, 1971). The calyx and corolla are usually 4 to 5-lobed. Glands are usually present on the rachis and the upper side of the petiole. The seed pod may be straight, curved or curled, and either dehiscent or indehiscent.
Species list
Of the 163 species currently assigned to Vachellia, 52 are native to the Americas, 83 to Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, 32 to Asia and 9 to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Vachellia comprises the following species:
Vachellia abyssinica (Hochst. ex. Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—flat top acacia
subsp. abyssinica (Hochst. ex. Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. calophylla (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia acuifera (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger—Bahama acacia, cassip, pork-and-doughboy, (Bahamas) rosewood
Vachellia albicortata (Burkart) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia allenii (D. H. Janzen) Seigler & Ebinger—Allen acacia
Vachellia amythethophylla (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia ancistroclada (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia anegadensis (Britton) Seigler & Ebinger—Anegada acacia, blackbrush-wattle, pokemeboy
Vachellia antunesii (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia arenaria (Schinz) Kyal. & Boatwr.—sand acacia
Vachellia aroma (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Seigler & Ebinger
var. aroma Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.
var. huarango Ruíz & J.Macbr.
Vachellia astringens (Gillies in Hook. et Arn.) Speg.
Vachellia baessleri Clarke, Siegler & Ebinger
Vachellia barahonensis (Urb. & Ekman) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia bavazzanoi (Pichi-Sermolli) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia belairioides (Urb.) Seigler & Ebinger—Bellair acacia
Vachellia bellula (Drake) Boatwr.
Vachellia biaciculata (S. Watson) Seigler & Ebinger—corkwood wattle, dogwood
Vachellia bidwillii (Benth.) Kodela—corkwood wattle, dogwood. "'Waneu', of the aboriginals of Central Queensland ; 'Yadthor', of those of the Cloncurry River, Northern Queensland."
Vachellia bilimekii (J. Macbr.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia bolei (R.P. Subhedar) Ragupathy, Seigler, Ebinger & Maslin
Vachellia borleae (Burtt Davy) Kyal. & Boatwr.—sticky acacia, named for the collector Jeanne M. Borle.
Vachellia brandegeana (I. M. Johnst.) Seigler & Ebinger—Baja California acacia
Vachellia bravoensis (Isely) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia bricchettiana (Chiov.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia bucheri (Marie-Victorín) Seigler & Ebinger—Bucher acacia
Vachellia bullockii (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. bullockii (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. induta (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia burttii (Bak. f.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia bussei (Harms ex Sjöstedt) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia californica (Brandegee) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia campechiana (Mill.) Seigler & Ebinger—boatthorn acacia, spoon-thorn acacia
f. campechiana (Mill.) Seigler & Ebinger
f. houghii (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia caurina (Barneby & Zanoni) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia caven (Molina) Seigler & Ebinger
var. caven (Molina) Seigler & Ebinger
var. dehiscens (Ciald.) Seigler & Ebinger
var. microcarpa (Speg.) Seigler & Ebinger
var. stenocarpa (Speg.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia cernua (Thulin & Hassan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia chiapensis (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger—Chiapas acacia
Vachellia choriophylla (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger—cinnecord acacia, Florida acacia, (Bahamas) cinnecord
Vachellia clarksoniana (Pedley) Kodela
Vachellia collinsii (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger—Collins acacia
Vachellia constricta (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger—Whitethorn acacia, Mescat acacia
Vachellia cookii (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger—Cook acacia, cockspur acacia
Vachellia cornigera (L.) Seigler & Ebinger—bullhorn wattle, bull's-horn acacia, bull-horn thorn, oxhorn acacia
Vachellia cucuyo (Barneby & Zanoni) Seigler & Ebinger—Cucuyo acacia
Vachellia curvifructa (Burkart) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia daemon (Ekman & Urb.) Seigler & Ebinger—Camagüey acacia
Vachellia davyi (N.E.Br.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—corky-bark acacia
Vachellia ditricha (Pedley) Kodela
Vachellia dolichocephala (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia douglasica (Pedley) Kodela
Vachellia drepanolobium (Harms ex Sjöstedt) P.J.H. Hurter—whistling thorn
Vachellia dyeri (P.P.Swartz) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia eburnea (L.f.) P. Hurter & Mabb.
Vachellia ebutsiniorum (P.J.H. Hurter) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Ebutsini acacia
Vachellia edgeworthii (T.Anders.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia elatior (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. elatior (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. turkanae (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia erioloba (E.Mey.) P.J.H. Hurter—camel thorn (Kameeldoring)
Vachellia erythrophloea (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia etbaica (Schweinf.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—savannah thorn
subsp. australis (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. etbaica (Schweinf.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. platycarpa (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. uncinata (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia exuvialis (Verdoorn) Kyal. & Boatwr.—flaky-bark acacia
Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Wight & Arn.—huisache
var. farnesiana (L.) Wight & Arn.
var. guanacastensis (H.D.Clarke et al.) Wight & Arn.
var. minuta (M.E.Jones) Wight & Arn.
var. pinetorum (F.J.Herm.) Wight & Arn.—pineland wattle
Vachellia fischeri (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.—flat-topped thorn
Vachellia flava (Forssk.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia gentlei (Standley) Seigler & Ebinger—gentle acacia
Vachellia gerrardii (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter—red acacia
var. calvescens (Brenan) P.J.H. Hurter
var. gerrardii (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter
var. latisiliqua (Brenan) P.J.H. Hurter
Vachellia glandulifera (S. Watson) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia globulifera (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger—globular acacia
Vachellia grandicornuta (Gerstner) Seigler & Ebinger—horned-thorn acacia
Vachellia guanacastensis (Clark, Seigler, & Ebinger) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia gummifera (Willd.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—gum-bearing acacia
Vachellia haematoxylon (Willd.) Seigler & Ebinger—gray camel thorn, giraffe thorn
Vachellia harmandiana (Pierre) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia hebeclada (DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—candle-pod acacia
subsp. chobiensis (O.B.Miller) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. hebeclada (DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. tristis (A.Schreiber) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia hindsii (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger—Hinds acacia
Vachellia hockii (De Wild.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia horrida (L.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—long white-galled acacia
subsp. benadirensis (Chiov.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. horrida (L.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia hydaspica (J.R. Drumm. ex R. Parker) Ali
Vachellia inopinata (Prain) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia insulae-iacobi (L. Riley) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia jacquemontii (Benth.) ali—baonḷī, raati-banwali
Vachellia janzenii (Ebinger & Seigler) Seigler & Ebinger—Janzen acacia
Vachellia karroo (Hayne) Banfi & Galasso—Karroo Bush
Vachellia kingii (Prain) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia kirkii (Oliv.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—flood plain acacia
subsp. kirkii (Oliv.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. kirkii (Oliv.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. sublaevis (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. mildbraedii (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia koltermanii R. García, M. Mejía, Ebinger, & Seigler
Vachellia kosiensis (P.P.Sw. ex Coates Palgr.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—dune acacia, dune sweet-thorn
Vachellia lahai (Steud. & Hochst. ex. Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—red-thorn acacia
Vachellia lasiopetala (Oliv.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia latispina (J.E.Burrows & S.M.Burrows) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia leucophloea (Roxb.) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger—pilang
var. leucophloea (Roxb.) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
var. microcephala (Kurz) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia leucospira (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia luederitzii (Engl.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—bastard umbrella thorn
var. luederitzii (Engl.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Kalahari-sand acacia
var. retinens (Sim) Kyal. & Boatwr.—balloon-thorn acacia
Vachellia macracantha (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Seigler & Ebinger—longspine acacia, French casha, long-spine acacia, porknut, cambrón, long-spined acacia, (Jamaica) parknut, (Virgin Islands) wild tamarind, (Netherlands Antilles) Creole casha, Spanish casha, steel acacia, (Virgin Islands) stink casha, strink casha
Vachellia macrothyrsa (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia malacocephala (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.—black-galled acacia
Vachellia mayana (Lundell) Seigler & Ebinger—Maya Acacia
Vachellia mbuluensis (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.—hairy-galled acacia
Vachellia melanoceras (Beurl.) Seigler & Ebinger—blackthorn acacia, bullhorn acacia
Vachellia montana (P.P.Swartz) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia myaingii (Lace) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia myrmecophila (R.Vig.) Boatwr.
Vachellia natalitia (E.Mey.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—pale-bark acacia, pale-bark sweet thorn
Vachellia nebrownii (Burtt Davy) Seigler & Ebinger—water acacia, water thorn
Vachellia negrii (Pichi-Sermolli) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.—scented-pod acacia, gum Arabic tree, babul, Amrad gum, thorny mimosa of India
subsp. adstringens (Schumach. & Thonn.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. cupressiformis (J.L.Stewart) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. hemispherica (Ali & Faruqi) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. indica (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.—Babul, Prickly acacia
subsp. kraussiana (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. leiocarpa (Brenan) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. nilotica (L.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. subalata (Vatke) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
subsp. tomentosa (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter & Mabb.
Vachellia nubica (Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia oerfota (Forssk) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. brevifolia (Boulos) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. oerfota (Forssk) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia origena (Hunde) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia ormocarpoides (P.J.H. Hurter) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Leolo thorn
Vachellia oviedoensis (R. García & M. Mejía) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia pacensis (Rudd & Carter) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia pachyphloia (W. Fitzg.) Kodela
subsp. brevipinnula (Tindale & Kodela) Kodela
subsp. pachyphloia (W. Fitzg.) Kodela
Vachellia pallidifolia (Tindale) Kodela
Vachellia paolii (Chiov.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. paolii (Chiov.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. paucijuga (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia pennatula (Schltdl. & Cham.) Seigler & Ebinger—feather acacia
var. parvicephala Seigler & Ebinger
var. pennatula (Schltdl. & Cham.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia permixta (Burtt Davy) Kyal. & Boatwr.—slender acacia
Vachellia pilispina (Pichi-Sermolli) Kyal. & Boatwr.—mpande
Vachellia polypyrigenes (Greenm.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia prasinata (Hunde) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia pringlei (Rose) Seigler & Ebinger—Pringle acacia
var. californica —California Pringle acacia
var. pringlei (Rose) Seigler & Ebinger—typical Pringle acacia
Vachellia pseudofistula (Harms) Kyal. & Boatwr.—ant-galled acacia
Vachellia qandalensis (Thulin) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia quintanilhae (Torre) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia reficiens (Wawra) Kyal. & Boatwr.—red-bark acacia
subsp. misera (Vatke) Kyal. & Boatwr.
subsp. reficiens (Wawra) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia rehmanniana (Schinz) Kyal. & Boatwr.—silky acacia
Vachellia rigidula (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger—blackbrush acacia, blackbrush
Vachellia robbertsei (P.P.Swartz) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Sekhukhune acacia
Vachellia robusta (Burch.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—splendid acacia
subsp. clavigera (E.Mey.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—river acacia
subsp. robusta (Burch.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—robust acacia
subsp. usambarensis (Taub.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia roigii (Léon) Seigler & Ebinger—Roig acacia
Vachellia rorudiana (Christopherson) Seigler & Ebinger—Galapagos acacia
Vachellia ruddiae (D. H. Janzen) Seigler & Ebinger—Rudd acacia
Vachellia schaffneri (S. Watson) Seigler & Ebinger—Schaffner's wattle, twisted acacia
var. bravoensis (Isely) Seigler & Ebinger
var. schaffneri (S. Watson) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia schottii (Torr.) Seigler & Ebinger—Schott's wattle
Vachellia sekhukhuniensis (P.J.H. Hurter) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Sekhukhune thorn
Vachellia seyal (Delile) P.J.H. Hurter—white whistling thorn
var. fistula (Schweinf.) P.J.H. Hurter
var. seyal (Delile) P.J.H. Hurter
Vachellia siamensis (Craib) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia sieberiana (DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—paperbark acacia, paperbark thorn
var. sieberiana (DC.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. villosa (A.Chev.) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. woodii (Burtt Davy) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia sphaerocephala (Schltdl. & Cham.) Seigler & Ebinger—roundhead acacia, bee wattle
Vachellia stuhlmannii (Taub.) Kyal. & Boatwr.—olive-barked thorn, vlei acacia
Vachellia suberosa (A. Cunn. ex Benth.) Kodela—corkybark wattle
Vachellia sutherlandii (F. Muell.) Kodela—corkwood wattle
Vachellia swazica (Burtt Davy) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Swazi acacia
Vachellia tenuispina (Verdoorn) Kyal. & Boatwr.—turf acacia
Vachellia tephrophylla (Thulin) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia theronii (P.P.Sw.) Boatwr.—slender mountain thorn
Vachellia tomentosa (Rottler) Maslin, Seigler & Ebinger—klampis
Vachellia torrei (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.—Mozambique sticky thorn
Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi—umbrella thorn, umbrella acacia
subsp. heteracantha (Burch.) Galasso & Banfi
subsp. raddiana (Savi) Galasso & Banfi
var. pubescens (A.Chev.) Galasso & Banfi
var. raddiana (Savi) Galasso & Banfi
subsp. spirocarpa (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Galasso & Banfi
var. crinita (Chiov.) Galasso & Banfi
var. spirocarpa (Hochst. ex. A.Rich.) Galasso & Banfi
subsp. tortilis (Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi
Vachellia tortuosa (L.) Seigler & Ebinger—twisted acacia, acacia bush, casia, catclaw, Dutch casha, huisachillo, Rio Grande acacia, sweet briar, sweet-briar, wild poponax
Vachellia turnbulliana (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.—velvet pod acacia
Vachellia valida (Tindale & Kodela) Kodela
Vachellia vernicosa (Britton & Rose) Seigler & Ebinger—viscid acacia
Vachellia viguieri (Villiers & Du Puy) Boatwr.
Vachellia villaregalis (McVaugh) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia walwalensis (Gilliland) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia xanthophloea (Benth.) P.J.H. Hurter—fever tree
Vachellia zanzibarica (S.Moore) Kyal. & Boatwr.—coastal whistling thorn
var. microphylla (Brenan) Kyal. & Boatwr.
var. zanzibarica (S.Moore) Kyal. & Boatwr.
Vachellia zapatensis (Urb. & Ekman) Seigler & Ebinger
Incertae sedis
These species are suspected to belong to Vachellia, but have not been formally transferred.
Acacia callicoma Meisn.
Acacia harala Thulin & Gifri
Acacia hunteri Oliv.
Acacia johnwoodii Boulos
Acacia planifrons Koenig ex Wight & Arn.
Acacia pseudo-eburnea J.R. Drumm. ex Dunn
Acacia tanjorensis Ragup., Thoth. & Mahad.
Acacia yemenensis Boulos
Hybrids
Vachellia × cedilloi (Rico Arce) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia campechiana × pennatula
Vachellia erioloba × haematoxylon
Vachellia × gladiata (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger
Vachellia kirkii × seyal
Vachellia macracantha × pennatula
Vachellia seyal var. fistula × xanthophloea
Vachellia × standleyi (Saff.) Seigler & Ebinger
References
Fabaceae genera