Acacia

Acacia senegal is deciduous small, to medium sized tree that is native to the arid, sandy regions of Africa and now naturalized in the middle east and Australia. The name ‘acacia’ is derived from the Greek word ‘akis’, which means point or barb and alludes to the various thorns that line Acacia’s branches. A member of the Fabaceae plant family, or the Pea & Bean family, Acacia has oppositely branched leaves which are comprised of numerous leaflets, and its fruits mature within a seed pod. Acacia is in the Mimosoideae sub-family, and is closely related to mesquite (Prosopis spp.), whose wood is used for flavor, the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica), whose leaves close when touched, and Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), whose bark is used as a nervine and to support sleep. A. senegal is an important plant for the indigenous Afar people of Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia. A preparation of the leaves is used nasally for immune health, a preparation of the bark is used as eye-drops, and a preparation of the root is used topically and orally to support blood flow and healthy arousal. In an ethnobotanical study done in Burkina Faso, the gum of Acacia senegal is reported by traditional healers as being supportive to a healthy weight. In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, A. senegal is utilized by Bapedi traditional healers to promote proper bowel function.