Fabaceae FAMILY

Vachellia luederitzii

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Especially in times of drought, many Acacia species can concentrate high levels of the toxin Hydrogen cyanide in their foliage, making them dangerous for herbivores to eat.

Botanical Description

Vachellia luederitzii is a small shrub branching from near the base or, more commonly, a tree with a crown that can be flattened and spreading, or more or less rounded; it can grow up to 15 metres tall. The bole is generally 15 - 30cm in diameter, though specimens up to 75cm have been recorded. The bark is very rough, longitudinally fissured on old trunks[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use. Best known as a source of quivers, the tree also provides a useful fibre and an edible gum.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeSouthern Africa - Namibia, southern Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, S. Africa.

HabitatTree savannah, bush, scrub, thornveld, often associated with Acacia erioloba and other Acacia spp., particularly on Kalahari sand; often forming dense impenetrable thickets; at elevations from 700 - 1,070 metres[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ].