Vachellia borleae
Vachellia borleae, the sticky thorn or sticky acacia, is a thorny shrub or small tree of southeastern Africa. Its range includes Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and northeastern South Africa. Older accounts use the name Acacia borleae.[1]
Description
Usually a many-stemmed shrub about three metres tall, it sometimes forms a slender tree reaching five metres. The reddish-brown bark and paired pale spines contrast with its small yellow-green leaflets. Sticky glands occur on young branches, leaves and pods. Along the leaflet margins they produce a distinctly scalloped appearance.[1]
The yellow flowers form small rounded heads. Slender pods curve strongly, sometimes almost into a ring; they are constricted between the seeds and split open when ripe.[1]
Habitat
The Zimbabwean flora records it in acacia and mopane woodland, frequently on basalt-derived soils and sometimes in thickets. Its regional account gives November to March as the flowering period.[1] World Flora Online also records mixed woodland and thornveld, often in low-lying places with heavy soils or on rocky outcrops.[2]
Conservation
South Africa's national Red List records an assessment of Least Concern dated 30 June 2005. The accompanying explanation says this was an automated screening result because the plant had not been selected for detailed assessment in the screening exercises. It should not be described as a recent global assessment or a precise survey of population size.[3]
Name
World Flora Online records the Vachellia combination as published in 2013 and lists Acacia borleae and A. barbertonensis among its synonyms.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hyde, M. A.; Wursten, B. T.; Ballings, P.; Coates Palgrave, M. (2026). “Acacia borleae”. Flora of Zimbabwe. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 World Flora Online (2026). “Vachellia borleae (Burtt Davy) Kyal. & Boatwr.”. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Foden, W.; Potter, L. (2005). “Vachellia borleae”. National Assessment, Red List of South African Plants, SANBI; assessment dated 30 June 2005. Accessed 9 October 2026.