Acacia confusa

Acacia confusa
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Acacia
Species:	A. confusa
Binomial name
Acacia confusa Merr.
Range of Acacia confusa
Synonyms
Acacia richii auct. non A. Gray Racosperma confusum (Merr.) Pedley[2]

Acacia confusa is a perennial tree native to South-East Asia. Some common names for it are acacia petit feuille, small Philippine acacia, Formosa acacia (Taiwan acacia) and Formosan koa. It grows to a height of 15m. The tree has become very common in many tropical Pacific areas, including Hawaii, where the species is considered invasive.^[3]

Uses

Its uses include chemical products, environmental management and food and drink. The bark may be ground into a powder and saturated into water to create a tea, or may be spread onto various foods as a spice and taste enhancer. The wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm³.^[4] In Taiwan, its wood is used to make support beams for underground mines. The wood is also converted to charcoal for family use. The plant is used in traditional medicine^[5] and is available from herbal medicine shops (草藥店) in Taiwan, but there has been no clinical study to support its effectiveness. It is also frequently used as a durable flooring material.

Acacia confusa habit

Acacia confusa leaves and pods

Acacia confusa seeds

Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals found in Acacia confusa:

Root bark

• N-methyltryptamine, 1.43%^[6]
• N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 1.15%^[6]

Seeds

• Neurolathryogen (α-amino-β-oxalylaminopropionic acid), which can cause neurological damage, paralysis and death.^[6]

Stems

• N-methyltryptamine, 0.04%^[6]
• N,N-dimethyltryptamine, 0.01%^[6]

Phyllodes

No alkaloids are found in the phyllodes (leaf-like structures).^[6]

Varieties

• Acacia confusa var. inamurai Hayata

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Acacia richii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
2. International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS)
3. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
4. FAO Appendix 1
5. Li, Thomas S. C. Taiwanese Native Medicinal Plants: Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values, CRC Press (2006), ISBN 0-8493-9249-7, p.2. online GoogleBooks preview
6. Lycaeum

External links

• Acacia Confusa Global Distributor based in the U.S.
• Acacia confusa on DMT-Nexus Wiki
• Erowid Acacia vault
• Acacia confusa Merr. Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) (traditional Chinese) (English)