Vachellia theronii (P.P.Sw.) Boatwr.

A tall, slender tree 4-6 m high, sparsely branched and branching high above the ground (probably an adaptation to withstanding damage by veld fires). Bark: dark brown to almost black, thick and leather-like, with longitudinal fissures; powdery except around the spines; ends of the young side branches often seeming to die back; young green stems with glands, giving them a sticky appearance; stipules spinescent, the spines in pairs, spines rudimentary, only 1-2 mm long, sometimes absent or. Leaves: rachis 9-19 mm long, sometimes grooved, with a prominent round gland between each pair of pinnae, with 1-4 pairs of pinnae, each about 25 mm long, usually bearing 12 or 13 pairs of densely packed leaflets more or less overlapping each other, glands on the rachilla between most pairs of leaflets; leaflets mostly 6 x 2.3 mm, apex rounded, quite thick, with a thick waxy layer, end pair the largest; petiole 0.5-1.2 cm long, thick, deeply grooved, with a very prominent gland. Flowers: in yellow balls (Dec.-May, or even later, depending on the rainy season). Fruit: a pod, 8-1.4 cm long, dark brown to greyish, curved to straight, usually not constricted between the seeds, with glands making them sticky when young (both flowers and pods at the same time). Seeds: 6-11 per pod. The secondary growth of the young stems is very active, resulting in a thick bark that is very rich in tannins. The wood is hard and high in lignins. The flowering period is very long in comparison with the other closely related species, with the result that pods with ripe seed can be found on the same branch as new flowers. This is unlikely to happen in V. karroo or V. natalitia.