Vachellia nilotica

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Mimoseae
Genus: Vachellia
Species:
Subspecies: V. n. subsp. adstringens – V. n. subsp. cupressiformis – V. n. subsp. hemispherica – V. n. subsp. indica – V. n. subsp. kraussiana – V. n. subsp. leiocarpa – V. n. subsp. nilotica – V. n. subsp. subalata – V. n. subsp. tomentosa

Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H.Hurter & Mabb. in D.J.Mabberley, Mabberley's Pl.-Book, ed. 3: 1021 (2008).

• Basionym
  • Mimosa nilotica L., Sp. Pl. 1: 521 (1753).
• Homotypic
  • Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile, Fl. Aegypt. Illustr. 79; Desf. Tabl. Hort. Par. ed. II. 208 (1813).
  • Gumifera nilotica (L.) Raf., Sylva Tellur.: 118 (1838).
  • Acacia arabica var. nilotica (L.) Benth.
  • Acacia scorpioides var. nilotica (L.) A.Chev.
• Heterotypic
  • Mimosa scorpioides L., Sp. Pl. 1: 521 (1753).
    • Acacia scorpioides (L.) W.Wight, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 9: 173 (1905).
  • Mimosa arabica Lam. in J. Lamarck & al., Encycl. 1(1): 19 (1783).
    • Acacia arabica (Lam.) Willd., Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 4(2): 1085 (1806).
  • Acacia vera Garsault, Fig. Pl. Méd.: t. 95 (1764).
  • Acacia vera Willd., Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 4(2): 1085 (1806).
    • Gumifera vera (Willd.) Raf., Sylva Tellur.: 118 (1838).
  • Acacia pseudoarabica Blume ex Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. 1(1): 8 (1855).

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa Regional: Northern Africa Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco (doubtfully present). Regional: Macaronesia Cape Verde. Regional: West Tropical Africa Benin, Burkina, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Togo. Regional: West-Central Tropical Africa Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Islands. Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan. Regional: East Tropical Africa Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda. Regional: South Tropical Africa Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Regional: Southern Africa Botswana, Caprivi Strip, Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Northern Provinces. Regional: Western Indian Ocean Mauritius, Madagascar, Rodrigues. Continental: Asia-Temperate Regional: Western Asia Iran, Iraq. Regional: Arabian Peninsula Gulf States, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen. Continental: Asia-Tropical Regional: Indian Subcontinent Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya. Regional: Indo-China Andaman Islands, Myanmar. Regional: Papuasia New Guinea. Continental: Australasia Regional: Australia Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia. Continental: Pacific Regional: Southwestern Pacific New Caledonia. Continental: Northern America Regional: Southwestern U.S.A. California. Regional: Mexico Mexico Central, Mexico Southwest. Continental: Southern America Regional: Caribbean Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Islands. Regional: Western South America Bolivia, Ecuador, Galápagos, Peru. Regional: Southern South America Argentina Northeast. Note: Grey script indicates introduced occurrences. References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition

• Mabberley, D.J. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of Plants, Their Classification and Uses. 3rd ed.: 1021.

• Kyalangalilwa, B., Boatwright, J.S., Daru, B.H., Maurin, O. & Bank, M. 2013. Phylogenetic position and revised classification of Acacia s.l. (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in Africa, including new combinations in Vachellia and Senegalia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 172(4): 500–523. DOI: 10.1111/boj.12047 Reference page. 

• Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Vachellia nilotica in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Aug 27. Reference page. 
• International Plant Names Index. 2020. Vachellia nilotica. Published online. Accessed: Aug 27 2020. Reference page.
• Tropicos.org 2020. Vachellia nilotica. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 27 Aug 2020. Reference page.
• Catalogue of Life: 2024 Annual Checklist

• Maslin, B.R. & Wilson, A.J.G. (eds) 2025. WorldWideWattle Species Gallery, accessed on 20250808192853 Vachellia nilotica – Taxon details on World Wide Wattle.

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