Vachellia

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Vachellia
Acacia smallii 4.jpg
Vachellia farnesiana
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Vachellia
Wight & Arn.
Type species
Vachellia farnesiana
(L.) Wight & Arn.
Species

147; see text.

Vachellia Distribution Map.svg
The original range of the genus Vachellia. Today it is also found in most Mediterranean countries.
Synonyms [1]
  • Acacia subg. AcaciaVassal, nom. illeg.
  • AcaciopsisBritton & Rose
  • AldinaE.Mey.
  • BahamiaBritton & Rose
  • DelaporteaGagnepain
  • FarnesiaGasparrini
  • FeracaciaBritton & Rose
  • FishlockiaBritton & Rose
  • GumiferaRaf.
  • LucayaBritton & Rose
  • MyrmecodendronBritton & Rose
  • NimiriaCraib
  • PithecodendronSpeg.
  • PoponaxRaf.
  • ProtoacaciaMill.
  • TaurocerasBritton & Rose

Vachellia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, commonly known as thorn trees or acacias. It belongs to the subfamily Mimosoideae. Its species were considered members of genus Acacia until 2009. [2] [3] Vachellia can be distinguished from other acacias by its capitate inflorescences and spinescent stipules. [4] Before discovery of the New World, Europeans in the Mediterranean region were familiar with several species of Vachellia, which they knew as sources of medicine, and had names for them that they inherited from the Greeks and Romans[ clarification needed ]. [5]

Contents

The wide-ranging genus occurs in a variety of open, tropical to subtropical habitats, and is locally dominant. [6] In parts of Africa, Vachellia species are shaped progressively by grazing animals of increasing size and height, such as gazelle, gerenuk, and giraffe. The genus in Africa has thus developed thorns in defence against such herbivory [ clarification needed ]. [7]

Nomenclature

By 2005, taxonomists had decided that Acacia sensu lato should be split into at least five separate genera. The ICN dictated that under these circumstances, the name of Acacia should remain with the original type, which was Acacia nilotica . [1] However, that year the General Committee of the IBC decided that Acacia should be given a new type ( Acacia verticillatum ) so that the ~920 species of Australian acacias would not need to be renamed Racosperma. This decision was opposed by 54.9% or 247 representatives at its 2005 congress, while 45.1% or 203 votes were cast in favor. However, since a 60% vote was required to override the committee, the decision was carried, and a nom. cons. propositum was listed in Appendix III (p. 286). [8] [9] The 2011 congress voted 373 to 172 to uphold the 2005 decision, which means that the name Acacia and a new type follow the majority of the species in Acacia sensu lato , rather than this genus. [10] However, some members of the botanical community remain unconvinced, [11] and the use of Acacia in the scientific literature continues to exceed the use of the new generic names.

Description

The members of Vachellia are trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing, and are always armed. Younger plants, especially, are armed with spines which are modified stipules, situated near the leaf bases. Some (cf. V. tortilis , Vachellia hebeclada  [ Wikidata ], V. luederitzii and V. reficiens ) are also armed with paired, recurved prickles (in addition to the spines). [12] The leaves are alternate and bipinnately arranged, and their pinnae are usually opposite. The racemose inflorescences usually grow from the leaf axils. The yellow or creamy white flowers are produced in spherical heads, or seldom in elongate spikes, which is the general rule in the related genus Senegalia . The flowers are typically bisexual with numerous stamens, but unisexual flowers have been noted in V. nilotica (cf. Sinha, 1971). [13] The calyx and corolla are usually 4 to 5-lobed. Glands are usually present on the rachis and the upper side of the petiole. The seed pod may be straight, curved or curled, and either dehiscent or indehiscent. [12]

Species list

Of the 163 species currently assigned to Vachellia, 52 are native to the Americas, 83 to Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, 32 to Asia and 9 to Australia and the Pacific Islands. [14] Vachellia comprises the following species: [15] [2] [16] [17] [3] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Incertae sedis

These species are suspected to belong to Vachellia, but have not been formally transferred. [18]

Hybrids

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimosoideae</span> Subfamily of legumes

The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petals that are twice divided (valvate) in bud and with numerous showy, prominent stamens.

<i>Vachellia farnesiana</i> Species of plant

Vachellia farnesiana, also known as Acacia farnesiana, and previously Mimosa farnesiana, commonly known as sweet acacia, huisache, or needle bush, is a species of shrub or small tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its flowers are used in the perfume industry.

Vachellia sphaerocephala, the bull's horn thorn or bee wattle, is a plant species in the family Fabaceae. The name comes from the shape of the thorns which do indeed resemble the horns of a bull. The tree has a strong, symbiotic relationship with a species of stinging ant, Pseudomyrmex ferruginea. This tree is endemic to Mexico.

<i>Acacia</i> Genus of plants

Acacia, commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about 1084 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America and Australasia, but is now reserved for species mainly from Australia, with others from New Guinea, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The genus name is Neo-Latin, borrowed from the Greek ἀκακία, a term used by Dioscorides for a preparation extracted from the leaves and fruit pods of Vachellia nilotica, the original type of the genus. In his Pinax (1623), Gaspard Bauhin mentioned the Greek ἀκακία from Dioscorides as the origin of the Latin name.

<i>Vachellia caven</i> Species of plant

Vachellia caven is an ornamental tree in the family Fabaceae. Vachellia caven is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It grows four to five metres tall and bears very stiff and sharp white thorns up to 2 cm in length. It blooms in spring, with bright yellow flower clusters 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) in diameter.

<i>Vachellia aroma</i> Species of legume

Vachellia aroma is a small, perennial, thorny tree native to Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay. Some common names for it are aromita, aromo negro, espinillo and tusca. It is not listed as being a threatened species. Although some sources say that Vachellia macracantha is synonymous with Vachellia aroma, genetic analysis of the two species has shown that they are different, but that they are closely related.

<i>Vachellia seyal</i> Species of plant

Vachellia seyal, the red acacia, known also as the shittah tree, is a thorny, 6– to 10-m-high tree with a pale greenish or reddish bark. At the base of the 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) feathery leaves, two straight, light grey thorns grow to 7–20 cm (2.8–7.9 in) long. The blossoms are displayed in round, bright yellow clusters about 1.5 cm (0.59 in) diameter.

<i>Vachellia caven <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> caven</i> Variety of legume

Vachellia caven var. caven is a perennial tree native to South America.

<i>Acaciella</i> Genus of legumes

Acaciella is a Neotropical genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and its subfamily Mimosoideae. Its centre of diversity is along the Mexican Pacific coast. They are unarmed, have no extrafloral nectaries and the polyads of their pollen are 8-celled. Though its numerous free stamens is typical of Acacia s.l., it has several characteristics in common with genus Piptadenia. Its pollen and free amino acids resemble that of Senegalia. Molecular studies place it sister to a monophyletic clade comprising elements of genus Acacia, and the tribe Ingeae. A nectary ring is present between the stamens and ovary, in common with Acacia subg. Aculeiferum.

<i>Mariosousa</i> Genus of legumes

Mariosousa is a genus of 13 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Members of this genus were formerly considered to belong to the genus Acacia.

<i>Senegalia</i> Genus of plants in the Fabaceae family, almost worldwide

Senegalia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the Mimosoid clade. Until 2005, its species were considered members of Acacia. The genus was considered polyphyletic and required further division, with the genera Parasenegalia and Pseudosenegalia accepted soon after.

<i>Vachellia reficiens</i> Species of legume

Vachellia reficiens, commonly known as red-bark acacia, red thorn, false umbrella tree, or false umbrella thorn, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the pea family (Fabaceae) native to southern Africa, often growing in an upside-down cone shape and with a relatively flat crown.

<i>Vachellia abyssinica</i> Species of legume

Vachellia abyssinica, the flat top acacia, is a tree up to 16 m tall.

<i>Vachellia robusta</i> Species of legume

Vachellia robusta, the splendid thorn, is an Afrotropical tree species.

<i>Senegalia hereroensis</i> Species of legume

Senegalia hereroensis is a species of trees in the genus Senegalia. It is indigenous to Southern Africa, and its native range includes western Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia, and the Northern Provinces, Cape Provinces, and Free State of South Africa. It is native to Zambezian wooded grassland (savanna), and wooded grasslands of the Kalahari-Highveld regional transition zone.

Senegalia thailandica is a species of climbing or sprawling shrub in the family Fabaceae.

Pseudosenegalia is a small genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes two species of trees or shrubs endemic to Bolivia. It belongs to subfamily Mimosoideae.

Parasenegalia is a small genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Mimosoideae. It is found in tropical areas of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Senegalia megaladena is a spiny climber, shrub or tree, native to Jawa, and from mainland Southeast Asia to China and India. It is eaten as a vegetable and used as a fish poison. It is named after its distinctive large gland on the petioles.

References

  1. 1 2 Maslin, B. R.; Orchard, A. E.; West, J. G. "Nomenclatural and classification history of Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), and the implications of generic subdivision" (PDF). worldwidewattle.com. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 Kyalangalilwa B, Boatwright JS, Daru BH, Maurin O, van der Bank M (2013). "Phylogenetic position and revised classification of Acacia s.l. (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in Africa, including new combinations in Vachellia and Senegalia". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 172 (4): 500–523. doi: 10.1111/boj.12047 .
  3. 1 2 Clarke HD, Seigler DS, Ebinger JE (2009). "Taxonomic Revision of the Vachellia acuifera Species Group (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in the Caribbean". Systematic Botany . 34 (1): 84–101. doi:10.1600/036364409787602285. S2CID   86066178.
  4. ↑ Dyer C. (2014). "New names for the African Acacia species in Vachellia and Senegalia". Southern Forests: A Journal of Forest Science. 76 (4): iii. doi: 10.2989/20702620.2014.980090 .
  5. ↑ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida ethnobotany Fairchild Tropical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona: with more than 500 species illustrated by Penelope N. Honychurch ... [et al.] Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN   9780203491881.
  6. ↑ Shorrocks, Bryan; Bates, William (2014). The Biology of African Savannahs (Biology of Habitats Series ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 231–233. ISBN   978-0198702702.
  7. ↑ Chidumayo, Emmanuel N.; Gumbo, Davison J. (2010). The Dry Forests and Woodlands of Africa: Managing for Products and Services. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN   9781136531378.
  8. ↑ Corder, Hugh; Glazewski, Jan; Bleazard, Janice (2009). A Rose is a Rose but is an 'Acacia' an 'Acacia'? Global administrative law: development and innovation. Cape Town: Juta. ISBN   9780702181900.
  9. ↑ Moore, Gerry; Smith, Gideon F.; Figueiredo, Estrela; Demissew, Sebsebe; Lewis, Gwilym; Schrire, Brian; Rico, Lourdes; van Wyk, Abraham E.; Luckow, Melissa; Kiesling, Roberto; Sousa, Mario (June 2011). "The Acacia controversy resulting from minority rule at the Vienna Nomenclature Section: Much more than arcane arguments and complex technicalities" (PDF). Taxon. 60 (3): 852–857. doi:10.1002/tax.603017. hdl: 2263/17167 . Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Acacia debate" (PDF). IBC2011 Congress News. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Conserving Acacia Mill. with a conserved type: What happened in Melbourne?" (PDF). Taxon. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Hyde, Mark; et al. "3446.000 Acacia Mill.—Thorn trees". Flora of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Handbook on seeds of dry-zone acacias, 3. Reproductive biology". fao.org. FAO Corporate Document Repository: Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Thiele KR. (2011). "The controversy over the retypification of Acacia Mill. with an Australian type: A pragmatic view" (PDF). Taxon . 60 (1): 194–198. doi:10.1002/tax.601017. JSTOR   41059833.
  15. ↑ Seigler DS, Ebinger JE (2005). "New combinations in the genus Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from the New World". Phytologia. 87 (3): 139–78.
  16. ↑ Seigler DS, Ebinger JE (2010). "New combinations in Senegalia and Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae)" (PDF). Phytologia. 92 (1): 92–95.
  17. ↑ Maslin BR, Seigler DS, Ebinger J (2013). "New combinations in Senegalia and Vachellia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) for Southeast Asia and China". Blumea. 58 (1): 39–44. doi:10.3767/000651913X669914.
  18. 1 2 Maslin B. "List of Acacia sensu lato species". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  19. ↑ Kodela PG, Wilson PG (2006). "New combinations in the genus Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from Australia". Telopea . 11 (2): 233–244. doi: 10.7751/telopea20065723 .
  20. ↑ Ali SI. (2014). "The Genus Acacia s.l. in Pakistan" (PDF). Pak J Bot . 46 (1): 1–4.
  21. ↑ Boatwright JS, Maurin O, van der Bank M (2015). "Phylogenetic position of Madagascan species of Acacia s.l. and new combinations in Senegalia and Vachellia (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae, Acacieae)". Bot J Linn Soc . 179 (2): 288–294. doi: 10.1111/boj.12320 .
  22. ↑ Maiden, J. H. (1889). The Useful Native Plants of Australia (including Tasmania). Sydney: Turner and Henderson. p.  3.
  23. ↑ Maslin BR. (2014). "Vachellia bolei (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae), the correct name for a species from India" (PDF). Nuytsia . 24: 21–22.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Taxon in the V. karroo complex, see: Roland, Dr. Wolf-Achim. "The Acacia (s.l.)-karroo complex, Status 2014". Acacia World. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  25. ↑ "Protected Trees" (PDF). Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Republic of South Africa. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010.
  26. ↑ Seigler DS, García R, Mejía M, Ebinger JE (2012). "A new species of Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from Haiti". Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 6 (1): 45. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01.
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