54 
Forest Flora of Portuguese Hast Africa. 
D. major, (New species.)' Vern. name — 4, Tanga. A tree 3-6 metres high, with rather a flat crown. Branches set with stout single axillary leaf-bearing spines 3-5 
c.m. long; leaves 15 c.m. long, 7 c.m. wide; rachis pubescent, with a gland at each pair of pinnae; pinnae about 6 pair, 4-5 c.m. long, leaflets 10-12 pairs, oblong, 
7-10 m.m. long, 2 3 m.m. wide. Stipules pubescent, very caducous. Spike fertile at the top only. Pods numerous, much twisted, 8-»o c.m. long, 1*5 c.m. wide, flat. 
Frequent in the thorn-veld of Lourenzo Marques and Maputa up to the Lebombos. Sim 6248. 
I’l-ATE XXXVI. A. 1, Leafless branch, with spines ; 2, Leaf ; 3, Spike, after flowering ; 4, Fruit fascicle ; 5, Stipule, x 2. 
[ Index Kewensis also retains D. Forbesii, Bcnlh. and D. Kirkii, Bcnth (in Trans. Linn. Soc. XXX., 1875, 383), as Tropical African. The former is said in FI. Trop. Afr. to be from Delagoa Bay 
and to be ‘ nearly allied to D. nutans, differing in the fewer pinnx of the leaves and one or two other characters of doubtful constancy,” while of the latter I have no information.] 
124. ACACIA. Trees, shrubs or climbers, usually prickly or spine-bearing, having bi-pinnate leaves and clusters or spikes of small yellow, often polygamous flowers, either 
axillary or arranged in terminal panicles. Calyx-tube very short, or sepals free. Petals 5 or fewer, more or less connate. Stamens numerous, free. Ovary several 
or many-ovuled. Pod compressed or flat, dehiscent or indehiscent. A vast genus, present in most warm countries, but most numerously represented in species in 
Africa and Australia. Ihe bark and pods of many species are rich in tannin; others yield gums, while from various species valuable firewood and timber are 
obtained. I he Australian “Black Wattle” (a decurrens) is now largely cultivated in Cape Colony and Natal for its bark and timber. In several Australian species 
the pinna; and leaflets are suppressed, and the main rachis modified into a leaf-like phyllode. 
. albida, Delile. Vern. names 4, Newapf, and Bolc-la. A large tree, 15-25 metres high and with stem up to 60 c.m. diameter. Spines in pairs, stipular, straight, stout 
below, 1-3 c.m. long. Foliage and bark light grey, leaves 7 c.m. long, pinnae 4-5 pairs, leaflets 8-12 pairs; leaflets oblong, 5 m.m. long, 1-5 m.m. wide, ultimately 
glabrous. Inflorescence spicate; spikes 7 c.m. long, axillary, single, or 2 together on short branchlet; flowers very light yellow or nearly white. Petals free nearly 
to the base, much longer than the calyx. Pods 10-12 c.m. long, 25 c.m. wide, flat but much twisted and bent, mucronate at the rounded apex ; base oblique; 
peduncle 1-2 c.m. long. Bark light grey, woody or corky, with a general smooth appearance ; timber grey, light, coarse-grained, fit for fuel only, and not good for 
that. Seedlings canescent or light grey puberulous, very much branched horizontally, and set with stipular straight sharp prickles 1-2 c.m. long. Frequent at 
mbelusi and throughout the alluvial deposits in the thorn-veld south of the Limpopo (extra-tropical); less common in Zambesia. 
Plate XXXIV. i. Branch ; 2, Pods ; 3, Spike ; 4, Flower, x 5 ; 6, Tree, general aspect (much reduced). 
Prof. Oliver (FI. I rop. Afr.) doubtfully refers to this the A. mossambicensis of Bolle (Peters’ Mossamb. Bot. 1-5) with the remark— “ I do not observe any 
character m the published description by which it differs, excepting in the absence of spines. This however occurs occasionally in A albida.” 
A. mgrescens, Oliv. Vern. names—, 3, Knopjesdoorn ; 4. Mkaia. A glabrous tree 6-15 metres high, with straight stem 20-30 c.m. diameter; thorns in pairs, stipular, 
ra 12 m.m. long, hooked, always present, growing with age into knobs 3 c.m. deep, each with the sharp hooked thorn on top. Leaves glaucous, 5-8 c.m. long; 
i.k 11s witi one gland near the base; pinnae usually 3 pairs; leaflets 1 pair on each, 1*5-2 c.m. long, 1 c.m. wide, very oblique (or on coppice shoots 2-5 c.m. long 
.m \m can essolique). Inflorescence spicate. Spikes 5-8 c.m. long, axillary, or 3-4 together on special short branches. Flowers numerous, light yellow Pod 
7-10 c.m. long, 2 c.m. wide, flat, with 1 c.m. point ; seed 15 c.m. wide, flat. This differs from the western A. detinens, which is very similar in foliage, in its spicate 
in orescence. I his tree covers large stretches of country in Maputa, Lourenzo Marques, Marracuene, and part of Gaza, usually as almost pure open forest with 
bare stems and grass underneath, forming splendid cover and grazing for game and stock. The tree is the most valuable forestal asset in the southern part of the 
rovince, laying a \a ua e durable dark hardwood which has been in demand for Transvaal mining purposes since the railway was opened through; on this account 
T %T m S ° far aS 11 is easily oblainable near the ™in line of railway, but a very large quantity still remains along the Swaziland railway 
nrohibit in! ! f m l 7 / T* l ° get develo P ment lines P ut down tb ere at some future time. Meantime the Government has issued a proclamation 
I 1 b 1 the felhng of thls kind for the Present ; a wise step until it is in a position to collect license fees, or royalty, upon the timber so used. 
nth „ snp rhe tree ™ USt havc a " unusual I,ower of "'ithslanding fire, for the grass is burned through the whole district every year, and I presume this burning is the cause why 
1° t , U|>0n flat f ry “ Plains ' and iS abSent from m0ist * 0 “ or river-sides. A variety has been separated® under the name 
A. mgrescens, pallens, Benth., and has stnee been ratsed to spec.fic rank, as A. pallens, Rolfe ; what its distinguishing characters are I have not learned, but Mr. J. 
bases pinn^r^Sat 3'5 Mt. longis in axillis folio, am annatis ; foliis 15 cm. longis, , cm. tatis , rachi pubescente, ad 
ferlili ; leguminibus multis, contortis, 8-10 c m longis is; cm htis olanis Kr/n 1 J . U *» IS * 0 on S* s J 7 - ,cl m.m. longis, 2-3 m.m. lalis ; stipulis pubescentibus caducis; inflorescentia spica, apicem versus 
, o 10 c m. longis, 1 5 c.m. latis, plams. I'requens in dumetis aculeatis, Lourenzo Marques et Maputa ad Lebombos. Sim 6248. Tab. XXXVI. A. 
