Senegalia macrostachya
Senegalia macrostachya
Safety & Hazards
Unlike many of the African species of Acacia (sensu lato), the seeds of this species are not toxic[ 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 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
Senegalia macrostachya is a spiny, several-stemmed, woody plant that can be more shrub like and grow around 4 metres tall; or can adopt a more climbing habit; or can become more tree-like and sometimes as much as 15 metres tall[ 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 plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood. It is sometimes grown as a thorny hedge for keeping out unwanted guests.