Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton

Shrub or tree up to 8 m high (in our area) with a slightly rounded or flattened and somewhat spreading crown, or a slender spindly tree with irregular virgate branches. Bark yellowish-or greyish-brown to purplish-black, rough, often corky and flaking off or smooth, papery and peeling off in strips; young branchlets yellowish-or greyish-brown to purplish-black, sometimes as though whitewashed over a purplish background, smooth or rough and flaking minutely or exfoliating to reveal a yellow inner layer, glabrous to densely pubescent. Stipules not spinescent, in pairs, linear, up to 5 mm long, soon deciduous. Prickles just below the nodes, up to 9 mm long, typically in threes, the central one hooked downwards and the two laterals ± curved upwards, or else solitary, the laterals being absent. Leaves: petiole 0.2-2 cm long, sparingly to densely pubescent, rarely subglabrous, adaxial gland usually present, sometimes two, variable in position, 0.5-0.75 mm in diam.; rhachis 0.7-6.9 cm long, sparingly to densely pubescent, lower surface with or without recurved prickles, with a gland at the junction of the top 1-5 pinnae pairs, between each pair or absent from some; pinnae (2)3-8(12) pairs; rhachillae 0.5-2.5 cm long, sparingly to densely pubescent; leaflets 7-25 pairs per pinna, 1-7 x 0.5-1.75 mm, linear to linear-or elliptic-oblong, apex obtuse to subacute, margins with or without cilia, sparingly appressed-pubescent above and beneath or entirely glabrous, lateral nerves invisible beneath or sometimes ± prominent. Inflorescences spicate, solitary or fascicled. Flowers yellowish-white, sessile; spikes 1.5-10 cm long, axis glabrous to densely pubescent; peduncle 0.1-2 cm long. Calyx sometimes tinged with pink, glabrous to somewhat pubescent, tube 0.9-2.6 mm long, lobes 0.2-0.8 mm long. Corolla glabrous or subglabrous, tube 2-3.2 mm long, lobes up to 0.9 mm long. Stamen-filaments free, up to 7 mm long; anthers 0.2-0.25 mm across, with a deciduous apical gland. Ovary glabrous, very shortly stipitate. Pods yellowish-or greyish-brown to brown, 1.8-9.5 x 1.2-3.4 cm, oblong, straight or almost so, longitudinally dehiscent, venose, apex rounded to acuminate or distinctly rostrate, sparingly to densely appressed-pubescent or puberulous. Seeds olive-brown to brown, 8-12 mm in diam., rbsubcircular-lenticular, compressed; central areole 2.5-6 x 2.5-5 mm, impressed, horseshoe shaped.

It is a tropical plant. It occurs naturally in tropical Africa. It grows in the Sahel. It prefers deep sandy soils. It requires an open sunny position. It is drought and frost resistant. It grows in semi arid zones. It is very drought tolerant and can survive long dry seasons. It can grow in arid places. Its extensive side roots help bind the soil. In equatorial regions it grows from 600-1700 m altitude. It grows in areas with a rainfall of 25 to 35 mm. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

The gum is eaten. It is highly nutritious. People eating 200 g a day can survive for several days. Gum arabic has the important use in food products that it enables oil and water to mix. The gum has little taste. It is used in confectionary and chewing gum. The soft inner bark is also chewed. The seeds are eaten as a vegetable. They can be dried and stored.

It is grown from seed. The seed need treatment to break the hard seed coat. This is by putting the seeds in water and soaking overnight then planting the seeds immediately. Dry seed can be stored if kept cool, dry and insect free.