Fabaceae FAMILY

Vachellia cornigera

Edibility

3/5

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 cornigera is a shrub or a small tree, usually growing up to 10 metres tall, occasionally reaching 15 metres. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. The seedpods are often harvested in quantity in some areas and are then transported to local markkets for sale[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeC. America - Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico

HabitatMoist or dry thickets or thin forest, chiefly on the plains, often forming dense thickets; at elevations up to 900 metres[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. Relatively common in riparian and swamp habitats, growing in fallow fields, pastures, roadsides, and other disturbed sites.