The Flowers are in large, erect panicles, 12-18 inches high and stiffly branched, standing prominently up on the ends of the shoots. They appear in the rains and are in bright yellow balls about ½ inch in diameter.
The Fruits are pods, 3-5 inches long, ½-¾ inch broad, flat, dark red-brown with a grey bloom and containing from 6-12 flat, oval, brown seeds. The pod is slightly embossed at the seeds and very persistent, numbers remaining on the tree till the following rains.
ACACIA NILOTICA Del.—Bagaruwa namiji. LEGUMINOSAE.
This species is nearly allied to Acacia arabica and can be at once distinguished from it by the smooth, jointed pods. In other respects it is very similar. The native distinguishes the two species by the fruits, the Acacia arabica with its large grey “sant pods” being known as the female, “ta mata” as against the name “namiji” of A. nilotica. As a rule this species is a much larger tree than A. arabica and two forms are commonly met with. The one, which is common in low-lying country liable to inundation, has a short bole and a large number of slender branches which ascend to a great height and spread out wide, forming a large semi-spherical crown almost reaching the ground. The other has a long bole with a girth of 10 feet or more and a high rounded crown. The latter type yields a large volume of timber.
The Bark is almost black with deep fissures and very long, ragged scales, which fall in large pieces. The slash is red-brown, with darker streaks.
The Thorns are in pairs, quite small near the twig tips and up to 2 inches or more in length elsewhere, straight or curved, more often the latter, white, slender and very strong and sharp.
The Wood is reddish-brown in colour, almost blood-colour in cross section, with marked rings. It is very close grained, the cross section being able to be planed quite smooth. The grain is irregular and picks up. The weight is about 75 lbs. per cubic foot. See A. arabica.
The Leaves are 2-3 inches long with some five pairs of pinnae bearing 10-20 pairs of leaflets, bluish-green with a grey pubescence.