The Kenyan Acacia Tree
Learn about the beauty of the Acacia!
Getting to know the Acacia
Acacia abyssinica is one of the highland acacia, commonly called umbrella thorns. It makes a fine shade and ornamental tree and many dot the wheat fields around Nakuru, especially to the north, near the Menengai Crater.It is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773 based on the African species Acacia nilotica. All species of Acacia are pod-bearing.
Description
- The leaves of acacias are compound pinnate
- Flowers have five very small petals, almost hidden by the long stamens
- Leaf shape = Fern-like leaflet stalk
- Mature height = 18 ft or 5.48 meters tall
- Best Habitat = Warm, tropical and desert-like regions
- Best climate = Warm to hot
Beauty of Acacia
One of the most proud displays of Kenyan beauty
Additional Information
- There are about 1300 species of Acacia around the world
- 960 come from Australia, the rest are from Africa, Southern Asia, and South America
- People use its seeds for food such as soups and curries
- Can eat the honey from the flowers
- Used for Arabic gum in Senegal and North Nigeria
- Can be a cure for rabies used in the 19th century by the Ethiopians
- Is used for a perfume