Acacia hockii

Acacia hockii De Wild

Common names

Chibombo (Bemba, Bisa); kafifi (Nyanja)

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A multi-stemmed shrub or small tree (2-6 m). Bark variable in colour; on older stems or bole it is yellowish, thin and peeling. Thorns, straight, slender, brown and up to 4 cm long. Leaves compound, with 2-11 pairs of pinnae, each bearing 9-29 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets 2-6.5 x 0.5-1 mm, usually asymmetric at the base. Petiole 1.5-5 cm long. Flowers bright yellow spherical balls, 5-12 mm in diameter (March-August). Fruit are brown-red to purplish brown pods, curved and flattened, 5-14 x 0.3-0.6 cm (July-Oct).

Acacia hockii can be confused with Acacia seyal. The main differences are that Acacia seyal has powdery bark and its branchlets peel to expose the inner bark. In addition, the young branchlets of Acacia hockii are usually covered in dense hairs, whereas those of Acacia seyal are hairless. Acacia seyal is not recorded from the Luangwa valley although it does occur in Kafue.

Range and habitat

Acacia hockii is widespread in tropical Africa from Guinea to the Sudan and southwards into our area. In the valley it is mainly found as a small shrub, less than 1 m tall, amongst the grass in Combretum-Terminalia-Diospyros wooded grassland on poorly drained soils. Occasional in Mopane woodland and thickets.