Acacia

Scientific name: Senegalia senegal, formerly Acacia senegal

Other names: Gum arabic tree, gum senegal tree, senegal gum tree, Sudan gum arabic tree, kher, kumta, tur, tulh, harheyr, temmar, Sudan gum tree, kordofan gum, gommier, gommier vrai, Somali gum, Cape gum, Egyptian thorn, India gum, bablah pods, catclaw, cat's claw, devil's claw, tear blanket..

The acacia is a small thorny deciduous tree native to regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Oman, Pakistan, and west coastal India. It is the source of gum arabic, used as a food additive, in crafts, and in cosmetics.

Description
This savannah tree can grow to be up to 60 feet tall, with scaly gray, brown, or blackish bark, possessing a single central trunk and a dense, flat-topped crown. It possesses recurved spines in groups of two or three. Its leaves are 1 to 3 inches long, with three to eight pairs of pinnae. The main stem of each compound leaf sometimes bears spines. Each leaflet is elongated and oval in shape, and either sparsely hair or smooth on both sides.

The flowers blossom on spikes up to three inches long, and the fruits are flat, papery, hairy, and measure up to 3.5 inches long. The fruits open on maturity to release the seeds within.

Habitat
Acacia prefers coarse-texture soils such as fossil dunes, in area with light rainfall, but can grow in sandy soil or loamy sand. It can also grow in area where the rainfall can be as much as 37 inches of year, but these conditions reduce the gum output. It can tolerate up to eleven months of drought, but cannot abide frost.

Culinary Uses
The gum produced by the acacia tree is frequently used as a food additive to add dietary fiber to a meal.

Medicinal Uses
The gum produced by the acacia tree forms a soothing protective coating over inflammation in the alimentary canal, respiratory system, and urinary tract. It is also used to treat coughs, catarrh, sore throat, diarrhea, and dysentery. When sweetened, it can also be used to treat typhoid fever.

Magickal Uses
Burn acacia with sandalwood to open psychic centers.

Recipes
Acacia Mucilage

Warnings
Acacia can interfere with the absorption of amoxicillin. To avoid this interaction, take acacia either four hours before or four hours after taking amoxicillin.