Fabaceae FAMILY

Acacia kempeana

Edibility

2/5

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 kempeana is a spreading shrub or a tree with a rounded crown; it can grow up to 5 metres tall. The single trunk usually divides into two at around 50cm from the ground[ 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 source for native Australians, who also used it for medicine and as a source of materials.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeAustralia - northern Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland

HabitatWidely distributed in arid areas, where it occurs usually on stony hillsides or in coarse textured alluvial soils; often abundant in mulga woodlands on red sandy loam 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. ]. Often found along seasonal watercourses[ 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 ].