Vachellia robusta (Burch.) Kyal. & Boatwr.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Leguminosae, J.P.M. Brenan. Flora Zambesiaca 3:1. 1970

Morphology General Habit

Tree (2)5-25 m. high, crown flat or spreading; bark on trunk grey to dark-brown, fissured or sometimes smooth, young branchlets usually glabrous, eglandular, becoming grey to grey-brown, sometimes grey-purplish; bark of branchlets lenticellate, otherwise rather smooth, neither flaking off nor fissuring to expose red under-bark.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules spinescent, mostly short, up to 7 mm., sometimes longer, to 6-11 cm., straight or very slightly curved; “ant-galls” and other prickles absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves: rhachis (2.5)3-7 cm. long; pinnae (2)3-8(10) pairs, leaflets 9-27 pairs (in our area usually 13 or more pairs), (2)3.5-13(16) x 1-5(7) mm., glabrous or ciliate on the margins, oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, very sweetly scented, profuse, in heads on axillary, glabrous to shortly pubescent or puberulous, eglandular or very inconspicuously glandular peduncles, whose involucel is basal, shortly above the base or in the lower half of the peduncle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla glabrous outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods dehiscent, 7-19 x 0.7-3 cm., straight to falcate, linear, glabrous, valves rather thin to almost woody, grey- to deep-brown, ± longitudinally veined, otherwise smooth, attenuate to the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark-blackish-olive, 8-15 x 5-9 mm., smooth, quadrate, compressed, areole 6.5-9 x 3.5-6.5 mm.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Somalia-Masai wooded grasslands., Somalia-Masai forest, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; forest, Zambezian woodland, Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone; bushland and thicket., Tongaland-Pondoland regional transition zone; bushl

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Tree

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree 5–30 m high; young branchlets grey to grey-brown, glabrous (in Somalia), epidermis not flaking

Morphology General Spines

Stipular spines straight or nearly so, usually short, up to c. 8 mm long, occasionally up to 6(–11) cm

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually born on distinct cushions: pinnae (2–)3–8(–10) pairs; leaflets 9–27 pairs, mostly c. 3.5–7.5 x 1–4 mm, usually glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white, in heads; peduncles 1.2–5.4 cm; involucel near the base to 1/3 way up the peduncle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.5–3.2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 3–4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods straight to falcate, dehiscent, c. 7–19 x 0.7–3 cm, brown, longitudinally veined, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds compressed, 8–15 x 5–9 mm; areole 6.5–9 x 3.5–6.5 mm.