Acacia - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

Characteristics

One counts more than 1500 species of acacias throughout the world including nearly 1000 only in Australia. It is besides an acacia or mimosa, the gilded mimosa ( Acacia pycnantha ) which is the national flower of the Australia. The acacias meet in a large variety of ecological conditions, energy of the littoral zones, at the strongly sprinkled zones or the sub-mountainous areas while passing by the arid or steppe regions. It is however in these last that they more are met.

The flowers are generally small regular flowers, grouped in globulous heads or cylindrical ears. According to the species the inflorescences can comprise few flowers to more than one hundred. In general, they flower throughout the year with a principal blossoming in spring and a flowering of less importance the remainder of the year. The flowers are in general yellow, although there exist some species with the pink flowers.

The sheets are sheets made up with many pairs of leaflets, but certain species develop Phyllode S. Some, rarer, do not have sheets of the whole and have stems transformed into Cladode S. Their position driving ensures a protection against dehydration and the too great insolation.

Use by the man

Many species produce gum. True the Gum arabic comes from the common species Acacia Senegal as well in the tropical areas of West Africa as in East Africa. In India, Acacia arabica produces gum but of quality lower than true gum arabic.

An astringent drug, called catechou , is obtained while making boil the wood of the species Acacia catechu then by evaporation.

Principal species

To note that in France, one often indicates name of acacia an entirely different tree, the Robinier, often known as robinier false-acacia .

Geographical distribution

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