Steinmetz:Acacia

Acacia catechu

Also known as (or relevant to) Acacia catechu Acacia suma Mimosa catechu Family Leguminosae (Mimosaceae) English Names Black Catechu Pegu Catechu Bengal Cutch tree Natural Habitat Acacia Catechu: Southern Asia Burma North Borneo; Acacia Suma: Southern India Indonesia Malacca tropical Africa Part(s) Used Catechu nigrum (obtained from the heartwood)

Constituent(s) catechu-tannic acid catechin acacatechin quercetin mucilage gum colouring matter Action astringent expectorant antiperiodic stimulant detergent styptic dyeing- and tanning material used by the natives for chewing with betel leaves

Links

• Information in Von Esenbeck's book

Acacia farnesiana

Also known as (or relevant to) Acacia farnesiana Family Leguminosae English Names Real Acacia Cassia flower tree Sponge tree Natural Habitat West India Malaya near the Dead Sea South Africa cultivated in France (chiefly about Cannes) Part(s) Used Flores Acacae verus

Constituent(s) flower: benzaldehyde salicylic acid methyl-salicylate benzyl-alcohol analdehyde essential oil; bark: a soluble gum of the arabic type; fruit: tannin Action flower: antispasmodic aphrodisiac insecticidal astringent demulcent alterative stimulant. From the flowers a variety of Oil of Cassia is prepared for use in perfumery

Acacia senegal

Also known as (or relevant to) Acacia senegal Acacia arabica (and other species) Family Leguminosae (Mimosaceae) English Names Babul Arabic gum tree Natural Habitat Kordofan Sudan Nubia Senegambia Senegal Somaliland. Arabia Morocco India Part(s) Used Cortex Acaciae Gummi Arabicum = Gummi Acaciae (which exudes from the stem and the branches)

Constituent(s) gum: arabin (compound of arabic acid and calcium) magnesium and potassium salts mucilage sugar; pod: saponin gum malic acid resin glucose tannin; bark: tannin Action gum: demulcent emollient expectorant; bark: (so-called Babul bark) astringent used in tanning.