Senegalia circummarginata (Chiov.) Kyal. & Boatwr.

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Note

Closely related and similar in most of its characters to A. senegal, differing mainly by the characteristics listed below.

Morphology General Habit

Tree 5–9 m. high; crown flat (T.T.C.L.) or rounded, bark yellow, flaking.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets subglabrous to puberulous, rather smooth except for lenticels, purplish-brown to purplish-black.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 3–7 pairs of pinnae, their rhachides 2–6.5 cm. long; leaflets 8–25 pairs, 3–9 mm. long, 1.2–2 (–3) mm. wide, usually with few to many minute appressed hairs beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Axis of flowering spikes glabrous, rarely slightly hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (Fig. 14/18, p. 52) usually brown, dehiscent, sparingly to sometimes densely puberulous, oblong to elliptic, usually subacute, sometimes rounded at apex, 7–18.5 cm. long, 1.7–2.8 cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 10–11 mm. diam.; central areole 4–5 × 4–5 mm.

Habitat

Dry scrub with trees; 730–1180 m.

Distribution

K1 T5 T6 T7

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type

S1, Paoli 794, 913 bis, 920 (FT syn.)

Morphology General Habit

Tree 5–10 m or more high (in Somalia); bark yellowish, flaking; young branchlets subglabrous or puberulous, purplish brown, internodes mostly 3–4 cm long

Morphology General Prickles

Prickles in threes, the central one hooked downwards and the two laterals ± curved upwards

Morphology Leaves

Petiole with a distinctly raised gland; pinnae 3–7 pairs; leaflets 8–27 pairs, c. 5–8 x 1–2 mm, pubescent beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers cream, in up to 11 cm long spikes with a glabrous to subglabrous axis

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 3 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla c. 3.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight, dehiscent, 8–15 x 1.3–2 cm, brown, veined, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds subcircular, 8–10 mm in diam.; areole 3.5–4 x 2.5–3 mm.

Distribution

?N1; C2; S1 eastern Africa southwards to Transvaal.

Ecology

Altitude range 230–490 m.

Vernacular

Cadaad geri (Somali)

Note

This is usually called A. senegal var. leiorhachis in current literature, but behaves as a distinct species in Somalia. It sometimes grows together with A. senegal, and is easily distinguished by being a ± large tree with yellowish papery peeling bark, glabrous purplish brown branchlets with long internodes, and glabrous inflorescence-axes. However, in Kenya and further south the situation is more complicated with also more straggling forms occurring.