Acacia sericophylla
Acacia sericophylla
Safety & Hazards
The seed of many Acacia species, including this one, is edible and highly nutritious, and can be eaten safely as a fairly major part of the diet. Not all species are edible, however, and some can contain moderate levels of toxins[ 1295 Title Acacia in Australia: Ethnobotany and Potential Food Crop Publication Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops pp 228-236, (1996) ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. Author Lister P.R.; Holford P.; Haigh T.; Morrison D.A. Website https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-toc.html Publisher ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. Year 1996 ISBN 0-9615027-3-8 Description ]. Especially when harvesting from the wild, especial care should be taken to ensure correct identification of any plants harvested for food[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ]. 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
Acacia sericophylla is a shrubby tree usually growing 3 - 6 metres tall but reaching 10 metres in Queensland. The tree produces one to a few main stems growing from ground level, these are covered with a thick, corky bark[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. , 1298 Title Wattles of the Pilbara Publication Author Website http://worldwidewattle.com/speciesgallery/descriptions/pilbara/html/default.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A website with factsheets for the various Acacia species that grow in the Pilbara region of northwestern Western Australia ]. Although it produces true leaves as a seedling, like most members of this section of the genus, the mature plant does not have true leaves but has leaf-like flattened stems called phyllodes[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. The plant is an important food crop for the native Australians of central Australia. Its seeds are highly nutritious and the plant has been recommended as a new food crop for arid tropical regions[ 1294 Title Potential of Australian Acacias in combating hunger in semi-arid lands Publication Conservation Science W. Aust. 4 (3):161-169 (2002) Author Rinaudo A.; Patel P.; Thomson L.A.J. Publisher Year 2002 ISBN Description ]. The plant also has potential for use as an ornamental.