Acacia nigrescens Oliv.

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Acacia nigrescens

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ngepi Camp, Kavango River

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Synonyms: Acacia pallens (Benth.) Rolfe
Senegalia nigrescens (Oliv.) P.J.H. Hurter
Common names: Knob thorn (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Medium to large, deciduous tree. Bark dark brown to almost black. The trunk and main branches often covered in numerous knobs,tipped with a hooked prickle. Thorns strongly hooked, in pairs at the nodes. Leaves with 2-3 pairs of pinna, each with only 1-2 pairs of oval to near-circular leaflets. Flowers in long spikes, white, sweetly scented, appearing in great profusion before the leaves. Pod straight, pointed at the apex, dark brown, dehiscent.
Notes: The leaflets are the largest of any Acacia. See A. mellifera for comparison.
Derivation of specific name: nigrescens: 'becoming black', thought to refer to either the colour of the thorns or the pods
Habitat: In hot and dry woodland and wooded grassland.
Flowering time:Aug - Oct
Worldwide distribution: From Tanzania to KwaZulu-Natal and West to Botswana and the Caprivi of Namibia.
Growth form(s): Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Brenan, J.P.M. (1970). Mimosoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(1) Pages 69 - 71.

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 203. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 2.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 2.

Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 292. (Includes a picture).

Coates Palgrave, K. et al. (1956). Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 250 - 253. (Includes a picture).

Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 168 - 169. (Includes a picture).

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 62.

Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 214.

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 241.

Ellery, K. & W. (1997). Plants of the Okavango Delta, a Field Guide Tsaro Publishers, Durban, South Africa Page 91. (Includes a picture).

Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 258. (Includes a picture).

Mannheimer, C. & Curtis B. (2009). Le Roux and Müller's Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of Namibia Macmillan Education, Windhoek, Namibia. Pages 110 - 111. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 44.

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 54.

Roodt, V. (1998). Trees and Shrubs of the Okavango Delta Shell Field Guide Series: Part I Shell Oil Botswana, Gaberone. Pages 170 - 173. (Includes a picture).

Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 158 - 159. (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 60.

Setshogo, M.P. & Venter, F. (2003). Trees of Botswana: names and distribution SABONET Report No. 18 Southern African Botanical Diversity Network, Pretoria Page 12. (Includes a picture).

Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 25.

Steedman, E.C. (1933). Some Trees, Shrubs and Lianes of Southern Rhodesia. Pages 13 - 14.

Timberlake, J., Fagg, C. & Barnes, R. (1999). Field Guide to the Acacias of Zimbabwe CBC Publishing, Harare Pages 90 - 930. (Includes a picture).

Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 210.

Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 486 - 487. (Includes a picture).

Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 574 - 575. (Includes a picture).

White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Pages 82 - 83. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Acacia nigrescens:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Acacia nigrescens
Flora of Malawi: Acacia nigrescens
Flora of Mozambique: Acacia nigrescens
Flora of Zambia: Acacia nigrescens
Flora of Zimbabwe: Acacia nigrescens
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Acacia nigrescens

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Acacia nigrescens
African Plant Database: Acacia nigrescens
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Acacia nigrescens
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Acacia nigrescens
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Acacia nigrescens
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Acacia nigrescens
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Acacia nigrescens
JSTOR Plant Science: Acacia nigrescens
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Acacia nigrescens
Plants of the World Online: Acacia nigrescens
Tropicos: Acacia nigrescens
Wikipedia: Acacia nigrescens


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Caprivi: Species information: Acacia nigrescens.
https://www.capriviflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=126070, retrieved 19 March 2024

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