94 



N. Ord. LEGUMINOSJS, Mimoscce. 

 Tribe Acaciece. 



Genus Acacia,* Willdenow. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 594; Baill., 

 Hist. PL ii, p. 68. Schweinfurth, in Linna3a, xxv (1867), 

 pp. 308 376. Over 430 species are known, found princi- 

 pally in Australia, but also in the hotter parts of America, 

 Africa, and Asia. 



94. Acacia Senegal,t Willd., Sp. Plant., iv, p. 1077 (1805). 

 Verek (Senegal). Hashab (E. Africa). 



Syn. Mimosa Senegal, Linn. M. senegalensis, Lam. Acacia Verek, 

 Guill. & Perr. A. rupestris, StocJcs. 



Figures. Guill. & Perr., Fl. Senegamb., i, t. 56; Schweinfurth. in 

 Linnaea, xxv, t, 22 A (fruit) ; E-eliquise Kotschyanae, t. 3 (leaves and 

 fruit). 



Description. A small tree, about 20 feet in height, with an 

 erect trunk and irregular, tortuous, slender, terete branches, the 

 young ones somewhat thickened at the nodes where are three 

 strong hooked prickles, one beneath the petiole- and two lateral 

 {sometimes straight), infra-stipular in position, all dilated at the 

 base, polished and black above; bark nearly smooth, brown, on 

 the young branches pale greyish brown, or nearly white. Leaves 

 alternate, often in axillary fascicles of two, rather small, 1 1J 

 inch long, shortly stalked, without apparent stipules, bipinnate, 

 the rachis slender, finely tomentose, with a small gland at the 

 apex and another near the base, primary divisions (pinnae) oppo- 

 site in 3 to 5 pairs about \ inch long, leaflets opposite in 10 to 

 20 pairs, crowded, sessile, linear-oblong, obtuse or acute, rigid, 

 easily disarticulating from the rachis, greyish green, about 5 inch 

 long. Flowers sessile, small, laxly arranged in slender, cylin- 

 drical, erect, stalked spikes 2 3 inches long, from the axils of 

 the leaves, and much exceeding them. Calyx campanulate, cut 



* Acacia, dKuicia, was the name given to a thorny Egyptian shrub by 

 Dioscorides. 



f Senegal, the name of the country where the plant was first found. 



