Vachellia caven

Roman cassie
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Vachellia
Species: V. caven
Binomial name
Vachellia caven
(Molina) Seigler & Ebinger[1]
varieties[2]
Range of Vachellia caven
Synonyms
  • Acacia caven (Molina) Molina
  • Acacia cavenia (Molina) Hook. & Arn.
  • Mimosa caven Molina
  • Mimosa cavenia Molina[3]

Vachellia caven (Roman Cassie, Aromita, Aromo Criollo, Caven, Churque, Churqui, Espinillo, Espinillo de Baado, Espino, Espino Maulino)[3] is an ornamental tree in the Fabaceae family. Vachellia caven is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It grows four to five metres tall and bears very stiff and sharp white thorns up to 2 cm in length. It blooms in Spring, with bright yellow flowers 1 cm to 2 cm in diameter.

Ecology

Prominent occurrences of V. caven are within the Chilean matorral of central Chile, where the species is a common associate of the Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis.[4]

The flowers of V. caven are used as food for bees in the production of honey.[5]

Uses

Erosion control

The tree is used for erosion control.[5]

Ornamental tree

The tree has ornamental uses.[5]

Industrial

Tannin from the seed pods is used for tanning hides.[6] The wood is used as fuel and to make posts for fences. The chief current human use for V. caven is in the production of charcoal.[5]

The flowers are used in perfume.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ Seigler DS, Ebinger JE. (2005). "New combinations in the genus Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from the New World.". Phytologia 87 (3): 139–78.
  2. ↑ Pometti CL. et al. 2007. Morphometric analysis of varieties of Acacia caven: (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae):Taxonomic inferences in the context of Argentine species. Pl.Syst. and Evol.264,239-249
  3. 1 2 ILDIS LegumeWeb
  4. ↑ C. Michael Hogan (2008) Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "handbook on seeds of dry-zone acacias". fao.org.
  6. 1 2 "Acacia caven". fcien.edu.uy.

External links

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