Acacia spp. Family. Leguminosae. Sub-family. Caesalpinioideae
Acacia –derived from the Greek, ake (= a point), in reference to the spiny stipules that characterised the first (African) species described as Acacia; these species now belong to the genus Vachellia.
Overview
In Part 2, the broad range of uses of the four Acacia species are reviewed, including the production of wattle seed for food and beverages, and the role of Australian Acacia bark in the tanning industry, notably in South Africa.
Medicinal research findings include positive antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anticancer effects. Australian wattles are often cultivated in plantations, mainly in Africa and Asia, whereas they are mostly wild harvested in Australia for timber and other applications.
Being nitrogen fixers they are very useful for agroforestry, however some species are liable to become invasive outside of their natural habitats, especially when cultivated outside of Australia.
Indigenous Plants for Health, Inc. 