Prickly acacia

Family: Mimosaceae
Scientific name: Vachellia nilotica
Description: Plant Form Large spreading multi-stemmed shrub or small tree. Size Up to 14 m tall. Stem Single stem, young bark has tinges of orange or green with 1-5 cm long spines, older trees have rough bark and lose thorns. Leaves 3-4 cm long comprising 10-25 pairs of very small leaflets along length. Flowers Globular wattle-like yellow flowerheads about 10 mm diameter, in groups of 2-6. Fruit and Seeds Grey-green pods 10-20 cm long, covered in fine hairs and with constrictions between seeds. Habitat Rangelands, pastures, around waterways and floodplains. Distinguishing Features Pods are strongly constricted, having an almost pearl necklace appearance. Impacts Severely affects grassland productivity, restricts water access, reduces biodiversity and can harm Indigenous land use.

Example images for this weed