Acacia victoriae
Acacia victoriae
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 victoriae is a dense or straggly, somewhat spiny shrub or small tree usually growing 2 - 5 metres tall but with occasional specimens to 9 metres[ 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 main stems are commonly around 6cm in diameter, but can reach 12 - 18cm[ 1292 Title Acacia species as large-scale crop plants in theWestern Australian wheatbelt Publication Conservation Science W. Aust. 4 (3) : 96-108 (2002) Author Bartle J.; Cooper D.; Olsen G.; Carslake J. Website https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283798072 Publisher Year 2002 ISBN Description ]. The plant readily suckers and can form thickets[ 1292 Title Acacia species as large-scale crop plants in theWestern Australian wheatbelt Publication Conservation Science W. Aust. 4 (3) : 96-108 (2002) Author Bartle J.; Cooper D.; Olsen G.; Carslake J. Website https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283798072 Publisher Year 2002 ISBN Description ]. Although it produces leaves as a seedling, llike most members of the genus the mature plant does not have true leaves but has leaf-like flattened stems called phyllodes[ 397 Title Australian Native Plants Society Publication Author Website http://anpsa.org.au/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc. ]. The edible seed is gathered from the wild for local and also commercial use. A traditional, Aboriginal food, the seed has become popular as the main supplier of seeds for the 'bush tucker' industry and is commonly planted to satisfy the demand for bush foods[ 301 Title Cornucopia II Publication Author Facciola. S. Publisher Kampong Publications, California. Year 1998 ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 Description The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc. ]. The plant has the potential to become a commercial crop in Western Australia[ 1292 Title Acacia species as large-scale crop plants in theWestern Australian wheatbelt Publication Conservation Science W. Aust. 4 (3) : 96-108 (2002) Author Bartle J.; Cooper D.; Olsen G.; Carslake J. Website https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283798072 Publisher Year 2002 ISBN Description ]. The tree has the potential to become a weed when grown in moister climates outside its native range[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].