Botanical Name - Acacia leucophloea

----- A. leucophloea, Willd., F.B.I. II-294. Brandi's Ind. Trees. 265. Gamble's Ind. Timbers, 295. Vern. Safed-Kikar, Safed Babul, Hind. Tella tuma, Tel. Hewar, Mar.

----- A moderate-sized or large deciduous tree; trunk often crooked and gnarled. Bark, colour varying with age, grey or smooth when young; dark brown, almost black and rough when old, exfoliating irregular in patches and strips. Spines straight, strong Pinnae 5-10 pairs. Leaflets 12-25 Flowers heads pale yellow, nearly white, in large terminal-laefless, densely tomentose panicles; peduncles short. Pods linear, 4-6 by 1/3 in., clothed with dense brown velvet.

----- A common and conspicuous tree found in most dry forests. It is easily distinguished by its panicled globular, inflorescence and stipulary thorns. Wood hard; sapwood large; heart-wood reddish-brown or nearly brick-red with lighter and darker streaks. Though generally small the wood is strong and tough, but often eaten by insects. It is used for posts for small native houses and makes an excellent fuel. A tough and strong fibre in use for large finishing nets and coarse kinds of cordage, is prepared from the bark by maceration and heating for four or five days. The bark is also used in distilling country arrack. The young pods and seeds are eaten and the gum is used in native medicine. This species is easily propagated by seeds and does well in B.C. soils.