Acacia tortilis

General Description:

Acacia tortilis is a medium-sized tree of 5-20 m height, with a flat parasol type of crown, introduced into India from Israel. The leaves are pinnate, 1.25-3.75cm long with 4-10 pairs of very small leaflets. Flowers are white to cream, scented and globulose, with about 4 flower beds in every node. The pods are rolled up in a helix of 3 to 4 turns, containing about 14 seeds per pod. Acacia tortilis seeds are ellipsoid and measure around 5.5X4 mm. They are greenish brown in color, with a dark brown area on their face. The seed coat is very hard and is to be removed. Acacia tortilis seed germination requires soaking the seeds in boiling water, till they swell. The germination period ranges from 4 to 10 days. The timber of Acacia tortilis is used for furniture, fencing, wagon wheels and various other uses. Acacia tortilis is a drought resistant tree and thus, is very useful in environment restructuring programs. The tree is reported to grow even on tight mountainous soils with low temperatures and strong winds.