Shittimwood
StarVachellia seyal
Synonyms: Acacia seyal
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In African traditional medicine Vachellia seyal (talh; the biblical "shittim") is valued for its bark and gum: bark decoctions, rich in tannins, are taken as astringents for dysentery and diarrhoea and used in washes for skin and inflammatory complaints, while the soluble gum (gum arabic) is used as a soothing demulcent for sore throats, coughs and digestive irritation; the bark and gum smoke or preparations are also employed for colds and rheumatic pains in Sudanese and West African practice (Burkill, The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, 1995; Orwa et al., Agroforestree Database, 2009).
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Botanical Description
Vachellia seyal (formerly Acacia seyal), the red acacia, shittim or talh tree, is a thorny, flat-crowned tree of the legume family reaching 6 to 12 metres tall, widespread across the Sahel and savannas of Africa from Senegal to the Nile and into the Arabian region. It is readily recognised by its smooth, powdery bark which is rust-red to greenish-yellow and exudes a fine reddish dust, and by the long, straight, paired white thorns at the nodes, sometimes with swollen "ant-galls." The foliage is bipinnate and feathery with many tiny leaflets, deciduous in the dry season. Bright golden-yellow, sweetly fragrant flowers are massed into globose heads. The fruit is a slender, curved, constricted pod. The tree yields a pale gum (a source of gum arabic), is an important fodder and fuel species, and grows on clay and seasonally flooded soils.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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