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Exudate Gums
Description
Acacia tortilis is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree and sometimes shrub or bush.
Crown is usually flat and spreading. Trunk possesses rough and fissured bark having grey
to black brown colour. Numerous branchlets with two types of spines straight and hooked.
Leaves are bipinnately compound linear to linear oblong. Flowers are white or yellowish-
white, scented, in round fluffy globose heads. Pods are contorted or spirally twisted,
indehiscent or slowly dehiscent. Seeds are slanting or parallel to long axis of pod.
Flowering: May
Fruiting: July
Uses of Gums
Gum from the tree is edible and can be used as gum Arabic, also known as a poor man's
gum Arabic. It is used as a food additive and for medicinal purpose.
Comparision of thorns among different Acacia species
A. catechu A. farnesiana A. leucophloea
A. nilotica ssp. adstrigens A. tortilis A. nilotica ssp. indica
A. senegal
Major gum and resin plants of India 69
