Acacia pennatula

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Abelmoschus moschatus
Acacia aneura
Acacia angustissima
Acacia aulacocarpa
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia catechu
Acacia cincinnata
Acacia crassicarpa
Acacia elatior
Acacia erioloba
Acacia etbaica
Acacia ferruginea
Acacia glauca
Acacia holosericea
Acacia karroo*
Acacia koa
Acacia laeta
Acacia lahai
Acacia leptocarpa
Acacia leucophloea
Acacia mangium
Acacia mearnsii*
Acacia melanoxylon
Acacia mellifera
Acacia nilotica subsp nilotica
Acacia pachycarpa
Acacia pennatula
Acacia polyacantha ssp. polyacantha
Acacia saligna
Acacia senegal
Acacia seyal
Acacia sieberiana
Acacia tortilis
Acacia xanthophloea
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius
Adansonia digitata
Adenanthera pavonina
Aegle marmelos
Afzelia africana
Afzelia quanzensis
Agathis macrophylla
Agathis philippinensis
Ailanthus altissima
Ailanthus excelsa
Ailanthus triphysa
Albizia adianthifolia
Albizia amara
Albizia anthelmintica
Albizia chinensis
Albizia coriaria
Albizia ferruginea
Albizia gummifera
Albizia julibrissin
Albizia lebbeck
Albizia odoratissima
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Albizia saman
Albizia versicolor
Albizia zygia
Aleurites moluccana
Allanblackia floribunda
Allanblackia stuhlmannii
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Alnus nepalensis
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Alphitonia zizyphoides
Alstonia boonei
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Anacardium occidentale
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Anogeissus latifolia
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Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria cunninghamii
Arbutus unedo
Areca catechu
Arenga pinnata
Argania spinosa
Artemisia annua
Artocarpus altilis
Artocarpus camansi
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Artocarpus integer
Artocarpus lakoocha
Artocarpus mariannensis
Asimina triloba
Ateleia herbert-smithii
Aucomea klaineana
Averrhoa bilimbi
Averrhoa carambola
Azadirachta excelsa
Azadirachta indica
Azanza garckeana

Local names:
Spanish (mesquite,huizache,espino negro,espino jiote,espino blanco)

Acacia pennatula is a thorny legume to 12 m, rarely exceeding 8-10 m in height. Bole straight rarely more than 25 cm in diameter. Twigs armed with pairs of short stout stipular spines, 1-1.5 cm long.

Leaves bipinnate with numerous minute leaflets, 1-3 mm long.

Flowers yellow globose heads on yellow velvety peduncles, fragrant.

Pods variable in length from 4.8-12.8 cm; oblong or linear in shape containing, 8-seeded, pod weight unrelated to variation in pod shape.

The species belongs to a complex of closely related species that include A. cochliacantha and A. macrantha. Two subspecies pennatula and parvicephala are recognized based on pubescence and inflorescence traits. The native name ‘huizache’ is derived from the Nahuatl word for ‘thorn’ or ‘spine’ huitztli, and ixachi, meaning thorns in great amount. The generic name ‘acacia’ comes from the Greek word ‘akis’, meaning point or barb.

Ecology

A. pennatula is sparsely distributed in dry habitats, often occurring in association with pine and oak and is a characteristic element in very extensive areas of dry subtropical mattoral vegetation and in dry thorn scrub forest. Its frost resisting attribute accounts for its successes in subtropical trials at Himachal Pradesh, India. The species is regarded as a highly invasive ‘weedy’ species threatening pasturelands.

Native range
Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Venezuela

Tree management

Coppices well and this makes it suitable for management of woodlots.

There are between 15 000-18 000 seeds/kg. The hardness of the small round seed allows it to be stored for long periods with little viability loss, provided it is kept dry and cool. The hardness of the seed makes manual scarification by nicking as a seed pretreatment difficult.

A. pennatula is sparsely distributed in dry habitats, often occurring in association with pine and oak and is a characteristic element in very extensive areas of dry subtropical mattoral vegetation and in dry thorn scrub forest. Its frost resisting attribute accounts for its successes in subtropical trials at Himachal Pradesh, India. The species is regarded as a highly invasive ‘weedy’ species threatening pasturelands.

Use of seeds is the easiest method of propagation. The spread of the plant is encouraged by the free cattle feeding on the pods during the dry season; after passage through the animal the seeds remain in the dung ready to germinate soon as the rains start.

A. pennatula is a hardy, frost resistant species with potential use in dry habitats.

Erosion control:  Its spreading root system is valuable in erosion control.

  There are few reports on regular human consumption of flour made from the pods or seeds of this plant.

Produces indehiscent seed pods commonly eaten by livestock. The pods have high protein (15%) and fiber content and are low in tannins. These attributes make them appropriate as fodder for fattening either as principal or as supplemental feed. In many areas ranchers simply release the livestock into the pastures (huizachales) during the season of ripe pod production.

Commonly used as a source of fuel and charcoal.

Timber:  A. pennatula is a source of building materials, particularly fence posts however these have to be replaced every 3-5 years.

Shade or shelter:  Grown along with coffee in plantations. Large trees provide shade to animals.

Tannin or dyestuff:  Tannin can be extracted from the bark.

Medicine:  The bark is used as a remedy for indigestion.

Nitrogen fixing:  Fixes nitrogen.

Commonly used as fence posts

Soil improver:  Improves physical properties of the soil.