| Vachellia abyssinica | |
|---|---|
| |
| An umbrella acacia (Vachellia tortilis), right, and a flat top acacia (Vachellia abyssinica), left. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Vachellia |
| Species: | V. abyssinica |
| Binomial name | |
| Vachellia abyssinica (Hochst. ex. Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr. | |
| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Vachellia abyssinica, the flat top acacia, is a tree up to 16 m tall.
Description
Its bark is reddish-brown on older trees. On younger trees it is pale yellowish-brown, peeling off in papery wads. Young twigs are softly hairy. Thorns are aligned in straight pairs at nodes. Leaves are in pinnae pairs of 20-40; the leaflets are very small, up to 4 × 0.75 mm. The inflorescence is arranged in white spherical heads. The involucel is located in the lower half of the peduncle. Seed pods are dehiscent.
Distribution
From Ethiopia southwards to Zimbabwe and Mozambique and westwards to Angola.
References
- Kyalangalilwa B, Boatwright JS, Daru BH, Maurin O, van der Bank M (2013). "Phylogenetic position and revised classification of Acacia s.l. (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in Africa, including new combinations in Vachellia and Senegalia". Bot J Linn Soc. 172 (4): 500–523. doi:10.1111/boj.12047. hdl:10566/3454.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Life. "Details for: Vachellia abyssinica (as Acacia abyssinica)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- "Vachellia abyssinica (Hochst. ex Benth.) Kyal. & Boatwr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Vachellia abyssinica | |
| Acacia abyssinica | |