Acacia nilotica- Babool/ Keekar/ Desi Babool/ Egyptian thorn or mimosa/ Thorn mimosa

[J.M. Garg]

Most common among Mimosaceae along with Vilaiti Keekar (Prosopis juliflora) & Jhand (Prosopis cineraria) in Hodal, Distt. Faridabad, Haryana & between Hodal & Delhi. It is unmistakable when in flowers with very long paired white spines. Leaves are twice feathered with 3-6 side-stalks. Fruits are greyish beaded pods (not in pictures) & unmistakable for Id.

 

Acacia nilotica (Thorn mimosa) is a species of Acacia (wattle) native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Acacia nilotica is a tree 5-20 m high with a dense spheric crown, stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm long in young trees, mature trees commonly without thorns. The leaves are bipinnate, with 3-6 pairs of pinnulae and 10-30 pairs of leaflets each, tomentose, rachis with a gland at the bottom of the last.

Above details taken from Wikipedia link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_nilotica_indica

Another good link is given below for more details:

http://www.haryana-online.com/Flora/kikar.htm
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With regards,
J.M.Garg
"What ultimately remains, is the hand you extend to others"
For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees pictures etc., visit  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg
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