Acacia pinnata Willd. ( Biswul ) <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Vernacular Names :- Assam : Kuchai ; Gujrat : Khervel ; Hindi : Aila, Biswul ; Sanskrit : Ari, Khadirapatrika, Svadikhallari ; Tamil : Indambudai , Kattindu, Mulluchingai ; Telgu : Giddukorinda.

Family :- Mimosaceae.

Distribution :- It is found throughout <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />India.

Morphology :- A glabrescent, stout climbing and prickly shrub. Stem woody and young branches pubescent. Leaves 7-15 cm long, pinnae 9 pairs and leaflets 35-45 pairs, glabrous, apex obtuse and base semi-truncate, linear-oblong and rachis glabrescent. Panicles terminal. Flowers pale-yellow and pedicelled. Corolla somewhat longer than calyx. Pods thin, dark brown coloured and strap shaped (Bhandari, 1978).

Part Used :- Leaves , Root and Bark.

Uses :- Leaf-juice mixed with milk is given to infants suffering from indigestions of milk with black stools. Dried pulverized leaves are applied as a dressing to wounds. Leaves are chewed with cumin and sugar in bleedings from gums and they are also rubbed to a pulp and mixed with cow’s milk, cumin and sugar, as a remedy for scalding of urine. Powered root or bark soaked in palm wine and applied on wool is an ingredient along with spices in the usual enema treatment for internal disorders. Vapour from an infusion of plant is inhaled as a remedy for chest complaints.

Acacia senegal Linn. ( Willd. ) 

Vernacular Names :- Arabic : Auaruar, Harhass, Hashab , Kittir ; Gujrat : Gorad , Goradiobaval  ; Hindi : Kumbat, Kumatiyo ; Rajasthan : Kumat, Kumta ; Sanskrit : Svetakhadira.

Family :- Mimosaceae.

Distribution :- It is found in Punjab and Rajasthan.

Morphology :-  A small prickly tree with glabrous-grey, pubescent and fluxous branches when young. Leaves bi-pinnate, pinnae 3-5 pairs, shortly stalked and pubescent. Leaflets 8-15 pairs, glabrous, subulate, linear and obtuse or sub-acute. Flowers fragrant. Calyx glabrous and campanulate. Corolla lanceolate and acute. Filament white and anthers yellow coloured. Pods thin, flat, linear, reticulate, oblong and pale-brown with 5-6 sub-orbicular-lenticular seeds (Bhandari, 1978).       

Chemical composition:- Acacia consists of arabin, the calcium, magnesium and potassium salt of Arabic acid, the aldobionic acid 6-b-D-glucuronosido-D-galactose, L-rhamnopyranose, D-galactopyranose and L-arabofuranose (Trease and Evans, 1973).

Part Used :- Gum.

Uses :- Gum is used both internally and externally as a demulcent and emollient. It is used for local inflammation and for nodular leprosy