Vachellia sieberiana
StarVachellia sieberiana
Synonyms: Acacia sieberiana, Acacia sieberiana f. eusieberiana
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Across sub-Saharan Africa Vachellia sieberiana (paperbark thorn) is widely used in traditional medicine: decoctions of the astringent, tannin-rich bark and the roots are taken for diarrhoea and dysentery, for stomach and gastrointestinal complaints, and used as wound washes, while the bark and roots are also applied for coughs, fevers and inflammatory conditions in West and southern African ethnomedicine (Burkill, The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, 1995; Orwa et al., Agroforestree Database, 2009).
Botanical Description
Vachellia sieberiana (formerly Acacia sieberiana), the paperbark thorn or Sieber's acacia, is a flat-topped to rounded savanna tree of the legume family reaching 10 to 18 metres tall, widely distributed across the savannas and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It has a characteristic spreading crown and corky, flaking yellowish to greyish bark, with long, straight paired white spines at the nodes. The foliage is bipinnate and feathery, composed of numerous small leaflets, and the tree is often briefly deciduous in the dry season. Sweetly scented, creamy-white to pale yellow flowers are massed into rounded balls borne in the leaf axils. The fruit is a thick, woody, more or less straight or slightly curved pod that is pale brown and does not readily split, containing several hard seeds. A hardy tree of grassland and riverine fringes, it provides forage, shade, fuelwood and tannin-rich bark.
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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