Vachellia zanzibarica (S.Moore) 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

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone ; woodland., Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transitional zone; wooded grassland, Zanzibar-Inhambane regional transition zone; saline and brackish swamp.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, Not climbing, Shrub/Tree

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree 3–9 m. high; bark yellow-green to yellow or whitish, turning cinnamon-coloured and powdery with age.

Morphology Branches

Young branchlets glabrous or nearly so, mostly brown or grey-brown, older ones with minutely flaking or powdery, yellowish to brown bark.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules spinescent, mostly straight, grey, 1.2–7.5 cm. long, some fused at base into ± deeply bilobed blackish “ant-galls,” each rounded or fusiform lobe to about 2–2.5 cm. in diameter; other prickles absent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous or nearly so; petiole 4–7(–15) mm. long, often glandular at middle or top; rhachis 0–1.5(–6.5) cm. long; pinnae 1–4 (–6) pairs, mostly 1–2 cm. long; leaflets 3–10 pairs, oblong to ± obovate, mucronate or acute at apex, 2–13(–20) mm. long, (0.5–)2–6(–10) mm. wide; venation usually raised, especially beneath.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bright yellow, in heads, sweetly scented; involucel at or shortly above the base of the glabrous or subglabrous peduncle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 0.8–1.5 mm. long, puberulous or glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.25–4 mm. long, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (Fig. 15/31, p. 66) linear, falcate to almost straight, flattened, subcoriaceous, glabrous, closely venose, 5.5–12 cm. long, 4–7 mm. wide, blackish-brown.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds probably ± quadrate-oblong.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tree or shrub, 3–9 m high; bark yellowish green or whitish, turning brownish and powdery with age; young branchlets glabrous or nearly so, brownish, older ones with minutely flaking or powdery yellowish to brown bark

Morphology General Spines

Stipular spines mostly straight, up to 7.5 cm long, some basally inflated and fused into ± deeply bilobed “ant-galls”

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous or nearly so; pinnae 1–4(–6) pairs; leaflets 3–10 pairs, 2–13(–20) x 0.5–6(–10) mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bright yellow in heads which are typically arranged along short lateral branches; peduncles up to 2.5 cm long with the involucel at or near the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 0.8–1.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 2.25–2.5(–4) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear, falcate to almost straight, 5.5–12 x 0.4–0.7 cm, finely longitudinally veined, blackish brown, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds compressed, 6–7 x 3–4 mm.

Vernacular

Fulaay, jiiq, waddi (Somali)