Acacia ampliceps Maslin

Leguminosae

Common names

Salt wattle, acacia

A. ampliceps makes with A. bivenosa a complex which also includes A. ligulata, A. salicina and A. sclerosperma, although the latter three are morphologically quite different from the former two and also quite distinct from one another.

Description

Shrub or small tree 2-8 m high, 1-4 stems branching from the ground twigs yellow, yellowish-green or brown green, spreading canopy. Phyllodes : variable, linear, lanceolate to narrowly obovate, 5-25 cm long 7-35 mm wide, pale green, soft and somewhat flaccid, 1 prominent central nerve, one prominent gland at the bottom of the upper face of the blade. Flowers : White or cream by 25-50 in globose  heads 7-10 cm in peduncles. Inflorescences in axillary diameter on 5-25 mm racemes bearing 2-11 heads. Pods : hard, rough, brittle, 7-12 cm long x 5-6 mm wide, slightly constricted between seeds, breaking easily at these constrictions ; yellow soft margins ; seeds set longitudinally in the pods. Articles containing one single, bright black seed 4.5-6.5 mm x 3.0-3.5 with a scarlet aril. Life span : from less than 10 up to 50 year.

Temperature

The tree is frost sensitive.

Water

Requires 200-800 mm, MAR and 3-7 months rainy season.

Soil

Can be found on sandy or loamy alluvial soils with an akaline reaction and is highly tolerant to salinity.

Distribution

A. ampliceps, A. bivenosa and A. sclerosperma performed well in the Sahel and Cape Verde, but A. ligulata and A. salicina did not (Delwaulle, 1979 ; Hamel, 1980 ; Cossalter, 1985, 1986, 1987) ; whereas all three A. sclerosperma, A. ligulata and A. salicina did very well in the Mediterranean arid zones of Tunisia and Israel (Le Houérou & Pontanier, 1987). A. sclerosperma is thus the only one in the group to be fit for both the Sahel and the Mediterranean Basin arid lands in the present state of the introduced provenances in both ecozones. Because of its intricate, laterally expanded bushy habit, A. sclerosperma is particularly adapted to erosion control projects (Dommergues et al., 1999).

Propagation

By seeds, good coppicing, moderate ability for suckering.

Products & uses

Hard round-wood, good fuel-wood, good browse, seeds consumed by aborigines.

Links for the genus:

• The WattleWeb: Acacias from A-Z
• Seed treatment and inoculation: Instructions for acacias and other NFT (Nitrogen Fixing Trees)
• Sustainable livestock production: Indigenous knowledge in utilization of local trees and shrubs in central Tanzania

References

Maslin 1974a ; Hamel 1980 ; Cossalter 1985 ; Cossalter 1987 ; Turnbull 1986 ; Turnbull 1987 ; Thompson LAJ 1987 ; Aswathappa et al. 1987 ;  Thompson L 1992 ; Kimondo 1991 ; Chege & Stewart 1991 ; Chapman & Maslin 1992 ; Sandys-Winsch & Harris 1992 ; Souvannavong & Fremond 1992 ; Harwood 1993 ; Maslin & McDonald 1996 ; Wickens et al. 1995 ; Maslin et al. 1998 ; Dommergues et al. 1999.