289 



(Arabic, Muriel No. 1 Herb. Kew) ; Soonud (Nubia, Grant) ; Garad 

 (Arabic (for fruit), Muriel No. ^ Herb. Kew) ; Minga (Nyasaland, 

 Purves, Herb. Kew) ; Nebneb (Yoloff, Moloney, For. W. Afr. p. 343) ; 

 Nebneb, Bano (Gambia, Llewellyn, Dudgeon) ; Babool (India, Watt, 

 Gamble) ; [Tchenga or Chenga (Ironga, Lorenzo Marques), Shangaira, 

 Chicao (M'Chopes), Isitwete (Swazi), Mungu-m-cheu, Egamo-sena 



(Echuabo) Sim'] Gambia Pods, Egyptian Mimosa, Egyptian 



Thorn, Gum Arabic, Babool Gum. 



Katagum (Dalziel, No. 54, Herb. Kew) ; Niger (Barter, Fl. Trop. 

 Afr. ii. p. 350) ; Nupe (Barter, Nos. 1595 and 1626, Herb. Kew) ; 

 Banks of Komadugu, Waube, N. Nigeria (Elliott, No. 136, 1904, Herb. 

 Kew) ; N. Nigeria (Dudgeon, No. 56, 1907, Herb. Kew) ; Yola, N. 

 Nigeria (Shaw, No. 73, 1910, Herb. Kew). Widely distributed in 

 Tropical Africa, India, &c. 



The pods are used for tanning in Katagum (Dalziel, No. 54, Herb. 

 Kew), in Kano (Dudgeon, No. 56, Herb. Kew), near Bayada, Blue 

 Nile (Muriel, ± Herb. Kew) ; in Kontagora (Bull, Imp. Inst. 1907, 

 p. 257), in Nupe (Barter, Nos. 1595, 1626, Herb. Kew), in N. Nigeria 

 — no precise locality given (Shaw, No. 2, 1909, Herb. Kew), and for 

 dyeing clothes a dingy yellow in Nubia and Egypt (Grant, Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. xxix. p. 68). Pods from N. Nigeria have been found to 

 yield a pale, fawn-coloured, but rather soft leather (N. Nigeria Gaz. 

 31st July, 1908, page 134), to contain 26*69 per cent, of tannin (Col. 

 Rep. Ann. No. 601 , 1909, p. 41) ; and worth about £6 per ton in 

 England (Col. Rep. Ann. No. 633, 1910, p. 25). 



In India the bark is of greater importance for tanning purposes, 

 and the pods used (Cawnpore Tanneries) almost exclusively to 

 remove the lime from skins and hides before tanning them with 

 " babul " bark (Watt. Comm. Prod. India, p. 7). The pods have been 

 found to coagulate rubber latex (Agric. News, Barbados, 1909, p. 169) ; 

 and used for making ink by the natives of the Gambia (Llewellyn, 

 Mus. Kew). 



The leaves and green pods are given as fodder to goats, sheep, 

 cows, and camels, and the tender young pods are sometimes eaten as 

 a vegetable (I.e.). 



The seeds pounded and mixed with dates are made into an 

 intoxicating drink, Muscat (Grant, l.c ). 



This tree yields a large proportion of the "Gum Arabic" of 

 commerce — Morocco, Mogador or Brown Barbary and East Indian 

 (so-called, because it comes into commerce from Aden and Red Sea 

 ports, via Bombay). Yields an abundance of transparent gum, Nupe 

 (Barter, No. 1208, Herb. Kew), and a good soluble adhesive gum, 

 Mozambique (Johnson, No. 289, 1908, Herb. Kew). 



See under A. Senegal for particulars of "Gum Arabic " — uses, 

 commerce, &c. 



The wood is hard and durable ; weight 49-58 lbs. per cubic foot. 

 In India it is used for wheels, well curbs, sugar and oil -presses, rice- 

 pounders, agricultural implements, tool handles, boat building, 

 rafters, railway sleepers, and fuel (Gamble, Man. Ind. Timb. p. 2! 

 in the Nile region for making boats (Grant, l.c. ; Muriel, Indian 

 Forester, xxviii. 11)02, p. 49). 



16583 H 



