Acacia tortilis   (Umbrella thorn)

Tree up to 10 m high with dark grey bark and a flat crown. The leaves, 5 cm long, are usually hairy and have pairs of white thorns, both straight or one recurved, at their base. The flower heads are cream-coloured spherical. The pods, irregularly twisted, are 3-5 cm long and generally less than 1 cm broad. The leaves and fruits are often eaten by stock. Cases of poisoning are rarely reported.
 
         

As % of dry matter

  
                 
       

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh leaves, 

                    

South Africa

    

19.2

11.6

8.7

6.1

54.4

2.27

0.17

213
                         

Pods, South Africa

  

17.3

24.8

5.7

3.1

49.1

0.79

0.34

"
                         

Seeds, South Africa

  

37.8

10.9

5.9

6.0

39.7

0.56

0.73

"
                         

Pod husks, South 

                  

Africa

      

8.7

34.3

6.2

1.6

49.2

1.10

0.14

"
                         
                         
         

Nylon bag degradability

      
                         
           

a

b

c

  

12hr

48hr

Ref
           

(%)

(%)

(/hour)

(%)

(%)

  
                         

Pods

        

DM

25

45

0.082

  

68

628
         

N

48

41

0.074

  

87

"
                         

Leaves

      

DM

33

33

0.057

  

63

"
                         
 

[P (rumen degradability at time t) = a+b*(1-exp(-c*t))]
                         
                         
                         
                         
                         

References

213, 628

Abstracts

Composition(130)