Acacia modesta
Acacia modesta
Vernacular
Phulai, Palosa
Family
Mimosaceae
Description
A small or medium-sized deciduous tree, young shoot glabrous to subglabrous, bark brownish or greenish grey, rough, prickles in pairs, below the petiole, compressed, recurved, dark brown, shining, 4-5 mm long, sometimes prickles absent.
Rachis 1.2-5 cm long, with a small gland near the base and sometimes one between the uppermost pair of pinnae.
Pinnae generally 2-3 pairs rarely 1, 1.2-2.5 cm long, leaflets 3-5 pairs, petiolulate, petiolule c. 1 mm long, lamina c. 4-10 mm long, c. 3-7 mm broad, broadly ovate or obovate, oblique, obtuse, glaucous, veins prominent.
Inflorescence a pedunculate spike, c. 3.7-7.5 cm long, peduncle c. 1.3-2.5 cm long.
Pedicel c. 1 mm long. Calyx 1-c.1.5 mm long, broadly campanulate, glabrous.
Corolla c. 2-2.5 mm long. Stamens indefinite, filaments c. 5 mm long. Pod stipitate, stipe c. 5-6 mm long, pod proper c. 5-7 cm long, c. 8-10 mm broad, thin, flat, straight, glabrous, apex deltoid, mucronate, late dehiscing. Seeds 3-5.
Fl.Per. March-May.
Distribution
Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan) ; India (Punjab, Uttar Pradesh) ; Afghanistan.
Uses
- The wood is hard and durable.
- It is used for cane crushers.
- Persian wheels and agricultural implements.
- It is also used as fuel.
- The gum is used in medicine and the tender twigs for cleaning the teeth.
Courtesy
Flora of Balochistan – Pakistan
