Vachellia karroo

Sweet thorn
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Vachellia
Species:
V. karroo
Binomial name
Vachellia karroo
(Hayne) Banfi & Galasso[1]
Native range of V. karroo
Synonyms[2]
  • Acacia campbellii Arn.
  • Acacia dekindtiana A. Chev.
  • Acacia eburnea sensu auct.
  • Acacia horrida sensu auct.
  • Acacia inconflagrabilis Gerstner
  • Acacia karoo Hayne
  • Acacia karroo Hayne
  • Acacia minutifolia Ragup.
  • Acacia natalitia E.Mey.
  • Acacia pseudowightii Thoth.
  • Acacia roxburghii Wight & Arn.
  • Mimosa eburnea L.f.

Vachellia karroo, (synonym Acacia karroo) commonly known as the sweet thorn, common acacia, Karoo thorn, Cape gum or cockspur thorn, is a species of Vachellia, in the Mimosa sub-family (Mimosoideae) of the Fabaceae or pea family, which is native to southern Africa from southern Angola east to Mozambique, and south to South Africa.[3]

It is a shrub or small to medium-sized tree which grows to height of 12m.[4] It is difficult to tell apart from Vachellia nilotica subsp. adstringens without examining the seed pods. The Botanical Society of South Africa has accepted a name change to Vachellia karroo.[5]

Common names in various languages include doringboom, soetdoring, cassie, piquants blancs, cassie piquants blancs, deo-babool, doorn boom, kaludai, kikar, mormati, pahari kikar, umga and udai vel.[2]

  1. ^ "Acacia karroo Hayne". The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b ILDIS LegumeWeb: Vachellia karroo
  3. ^ "Vachellia karroo (as Acacia karroo)". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Karroo thorn (Acacia karroo) weed management guide". Department of the Environment and Heritage and the CRC for Australian Weed Management. 2003. Archived from the original on 3 September 2007.
  5. ^ "Name changes in African Acacia species: Plant name changes". Veld & Flora. 100.