Acacia ataxacantha

Acacia ataxacantha DC.

Common names

Flame thorn (English); lungwezi, lungwisyi (Bemba, Bisa); lungwizi (Kunda); kombulakombolo (Nsenga)

The Latin specific name refers to the irregular distribution of the thorns, the English common name to the colour of the pods.

General description and distinguishing characteristics

Usually a scrambling shrub but does grow as a multi-stemmed shrub and elsewhere as a small tree (2-10 m high). Bark rough, dark brown and slightly fissured. Thorns are hooked, single on young branchlets, grouped in 3’s on older branches, up to 7 (15) mm long. Leaves compound, 6-15 cm long with 8-25 pairs of pinnae, each bearing 14-60 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets 2-5 x 0.5-1.5 mm. Flowers in creamy white spikes up to 10 cm long (January-March). Fruits are large pods, tapered at both ends, up to 20 x 2 cm, and reddish-brown (March-May).

Range and habitat

Extends from the Sudan southwards into KwaZulu-Natal. In the Luangwa valley it is fairly common in thickets and on free draining alluvium.