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Acacia hamulosa

(Kangaroo Thorn Acacia Paradoxa)

Overview

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Pods and leaves reputed to be edible (Wickens et al. 1995).

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Kangaroo Thorn Acacia Paradoxa

Description

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Family Fabaceae

The Fabaceae are herbs, vines , shrubs , trees , and lianas found in both temperate and tropical areas. They comprise one of the largest families of flowering plants , numbering 630 genera and 18,000 species. The leaves are stipulate , nearly always alternate, and range from bipinnately or palmately compound to simple . The petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus that commonly functions in orientation of the leaves (sometimes very responsively, as in the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica). The flowers are usually bisexual , actinomorphic to zygomorphic, slightly to strongly perigynous, and commonly in racemes , spikes, or heads . The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The androecium consists of commonly 1- many stamens (most commonly 10), distinct or variously united , sometimes some of them reduced to staminodes. The pistil is simple, often stipitate , comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume, sometimes a samara, loment, follicle, indehiscent pod, achene, drupe, or berry. The seeds often have a hard coat with hourglass-shaped cells , and sometimes bear a u-shaped line called a pleurogram. [Carr]

Subfamily Mimosoideae

Mostly trees or shrubs . Leaves mostly bipinnate. Corolla usually not showy, actinomorphic , sympetalous , the lobes valvate . Stamens 10-numerous, often monadelphous , showy. Pollen released in monads , tetrads , or polyads . Seeds with u-shaped line (pleurogram) present. [Carr]

Genus Acacia

Trees , shrubs , rarely herbs, often prickly or spinose . Leaves bipinnate; leaflets small and numerous or leaves reduced to phyllodes; petiolar glands often present; stipules generally spinescent . Inflorescence cylindric spike or globose head ; peduncle solitary axillary or fasciculate or paniculate at the end of branches; bracts often two, scale like, situated on the peduncle at various levels. Flowers small, 3-5-merous, bisexual or plants polygamous. Calyx campanulate , dentate , lobed or polysepalous . Petals usually more or less united , rarely absent. Stamens indefinite, free or shortly and irregularly connate at the base ; anthers small, eglandular . Ovary sessile or stipitate , with 2 or more ovules. Fruit ovate to linear , straight, arcuate or contorted, membranous to woody, rarely articulated or moniliform . Seed large, with a filiform funicle or fleshy aril.

A genus with about 900 species; distributed mainly in tropics and subtropics, especially in Africa and Australia.[1]

Physical Description

Species Acacia hamulosa

Shrub up to 4 m high, young branches grey to greyish brown and large round papery pods. Has prickles in threes, and so belongs to the Acacia senegal complex . It is readily distinguished from the others by having a curved prickle at or near the end of the rachillae (on which the leaflet pairs are borne). Occurs in Acacia Commiphora bushland on sandy and rocky alluvium over limestone or gypsum.

Habit: Evergreen . • Climbing: Not Climbing

Flowers: Bloom Period: March, April, May. • Flower Color: goldyellow-orange

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 6-8' tall.

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,176 meters (0 to 3,858 feet).[2]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 6-8' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 7.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Acacia paradoxa Chiov.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Rico M .L., 1994

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Acacia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2783 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

A. abbatiana · A. abbreviata · A. abietina · A. abrupta · A. abstergens · A. abyssinica (Nyanga Flat-Top) · A. abyssinica abyssinica · A. abyssinica calophylla · A. acanthaster · A. acanthocarpa · A. acanthoclada (Harrow Wattle) · A. acanthoclada acanthoclada · A. acanthoclada glaucescens · A. acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens · A. acanthoclada var. glaucescens (Harrow Wattle) · A. acantholoba · A. acanthophora · A. acanthophylla · A. acapulcensis · A. acatlensis · A. accola · A. acellerata · A. acicularis · A. acinacea (Round-Leaved Wattle) · A. acinacea 'Ruby Tips' · A. acinacea var. brevipedunculata · A. aciphylla · A. acoma · A. acradena · A. acradenia · A. acrionastes · A. acuaria · A. acuifera · A. aculeaticarpa (Catclaw Mimosa) · A. aculeatissima (Thin-Leaf Wattle) · A. aculeiformis · A. acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata acuminata (Raspberry Jam) · A. acuminata burkittii · A. acutangula · A. acutata · A. acutifolia · A. acutistipula · A. adansonii · A. adenanthera · A. adenantheroides · A. adenocalyx · A. adenocarpa · A. adenogonia · A. adenopa · A. adenophora · A. adenostylis · A. adhaerens · A. adherens · A. adiantoides · A. adinophylla · A. adnata · A. adoxa · A. adoxa var. adoxa · A. adoxa var. subglabra · A. adpressa · A. adstringens · A. adsurgens · A. adunca (Wallangarra Wattle) · A. aegyptiaca · A. aemula · A. aemula aemula · A. aemula muricata · A. aemula subsp. muricata · A. aestivalis · A. alata (Winged Wattle) · A. alata var. alata · A. alata var. biglandulosa · A. alata var. glabrata · A. alata var. platyptera · A. alata var. tetrantha · A. alaticaulis · A. alba · A. albescens · A. albicans · A. albicorticata (Espinillo Blanco) · A. albida · A. albizioides (Climbing Wattle) · A. albocorticata · A. alcockii · A. alemquerensis · A. alexandri · A. alleniana · A. allenii · A. alliacea · A. alocophylla · A. alpina (Alpine Wattle) · A. altiscandens · A. alvaroi · A. amabilis · A. amambayensis · A. amanda · A. amazonica · A. ambigua · A. amblygona (Fan Wattle)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. "Acacia". in Flora of Pakistan. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Mean = 261.800 meters (858.924 feet), Standard Deviation = 632.930 based on 333 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/2/2009