Fabaceae FAMILY

Acacia thomsonii

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

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 thomsonii is an often more or less spindly shrub or a tree that can grow 2 - 6 metres tall and up to 3 metres across[ 1302 Title Acacia thomsonii (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: Acacia section Juliflorae), a new species from the tropical dry zone of Publication Nuytsia 10: 3 pp 443-449 (1996) Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Year 1996 ISBN 0085-4417 Description ].It is occasionally single-boled, with stems to 10cm in diameter, more commonly with up to 6 main stems 2 - 5cm in diameter[ 1302 Title Acacia thomsonii (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: Acacia section Juliflorae), a new species from the tropical dry zone of Publication Nuytsia 10: 3 pp 443-449 (1996) Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Year 1996 ISBN 0085-4417 Description ]. 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 currently under evaluation for multipurpose use in dry areas of sub-Saharan Africa 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 , 1302 Title Acacia thomsonii (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: Acacia section Juliflorae), a new species from the tropical dry zone of Publication Nuytsia 10: 3 pp 443-449 (1996) Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Year 1996 ISBN 0085-4417 Description ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeAustralia - eastern Western Australia, Northern Territory, western Queensland

HabitatGrows in usually skeletal, slightly acidic soil on dissected plateaux and rocky low hills (often along diffuse drainage lines) and stony or sandy plains[ 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. , 1302 Title Acacia thomsonii (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae: Acacia section Juliflorae), a new species from the tropical dry zone of Publication Nuytsia 10: 3 pp 443-449 (1996) Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Year 1996 ISBN 0085-4417 Description ].