''Vachellia sieberiana'', until recently known as ''Acacia sieberiana'' and commonly known as the paperbark thorn or paperbark acacia, is a tree native to southern Africa and introduced into Pakistan. It is used in many areas for various purposes. The tree varies from 3 to 25 m in height, with a trunk diameter of 0.6 to 1.8 m.World Agroforestry Centre
It is not listed as being a threatened species.

Uses

''Vachellia sieberiana'' is valued largely as a source of forage, medicine and wood. The inner bark is a source of fibre purposes such as stringing beads). The gum is edible) and both livestock and game animals browse the tree and feed on the dropped pods, spreading viable seeds in their dung. The flowers of the tree make good forage for

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

s and bee hives are put directly in the trees to exploit the resource. The leaves of the tree commonly release toxic chemical compounds when the tree has been heavily browsed, some of the compounds may release

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

when ingested, which may be lethal to cattle. The fallen pods and foliage can provide lifesaving forage during dry times of the year. The gum of the tree is used as food, as an

adhesive Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

, and as an ingredient in making ink.

Traditional medicinal uses

In Africa, the bark or root is used to treat urinary tract inflammation. The bark has astringent properties and it is used to treat colds, cough, and childhood fever. According to the World AgroForestry Centre,

"A decoction of the root is taken as remedy for stomach-ache. The bark, leaves and gums are used to treat tapeworm, bilharzia, haemorrhage, orchitis, colds, diarrhoea, gonorrhoea, kidney problems,
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
, ophthalmia,
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
and disorders of the circulatory system. It is also used as an astringent. The pods serve as an emollient, and the roots for stomach-ache, acne, tapeworms, urethral problems, oedema and dropsy."

Nitrogen fixation

''Vachellia sieberiana'' is a

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

and like many legumes it hosts '' Rhizobium'' bacteria in its roots. The bacteria fix nitrogen gas from the air and, without requiring nitrogen fertilizer or soil nitrates, they convert it into nitrogen compounds necessary for plant nutrition. Ultimately, surrounding plants also benefit from the increase in available nitrogen, which means that plants such as ''Vachellia'' species are of particular ecological importance.

Tannin

Tannin is found in the bark and seed pods.

Wood

The wood is fairly hard and it is used for

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Fu ...

, handles for implements and

tools A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

for grinding grain manually. The wood of ''V. sieberiana'' has a density of about 655 kg/m³.

Ecology and conservation

This tree is widespread in its natural habitat and is not threatened. It is browsed upon by livestock and game such as elephant and

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

Gallery

Img00522-A-sieberiana.jpg, Close-up of the leaves Acacia sieberiana, blomme, Pretoria, a.jpg, The creamy-white, spherical flower heads Kirstenbosch - Acacia sieberiana close-up of bark.jpg, A close-up of the papery bark that gives the tree its vernacular name Acacia sieberiana - original description de Candolle 1825.jpg, Original description by de Candolle (1825)

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q43375469, from2=Q15289038 sieberiana Plants used in traditional African medicine Trees of Africa Forages