Acacia oswaldii
F. Muell.
Umbrella wattle, Umbrella acacia
(c) Reiner Richter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Reiner Richter
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(c) Tim Hammer, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Hammer
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds
Seed - cooked. It can be eaten in the same ways as other small legume seeds and is also ground into a powder then used as a flavouring in desserts or as a nutritious supplement to pastries and breads. The seedpods can be up to 31cm long and 6 - 12mm wide, with dark brown, oblong-elliptic seeds 6 - 8mm long. Acacia seeds are highly nutritious and contain around 26% protein, 26% available carbohydrate, 32% fibre and 9% fat. The fat content is higher than most legumes with the aril providing the bulk of fatty acids present. These fatty acids are largely unsaturated. The energy content is high in all species tested, averaging 1480 ±270 kJ per 100g. The seeds are low glycaemic index foods - the starch is digested and absorbed very slowly, producing a small, but sustained rise in blood glucose and so delaying the onset of exhaustion in prolonged exercise. The ground seed can be used to produce a high quality, caffeine-free coffee-like beverage.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a subtropical plant. It grows naturally in Australia south of 20°S latitude. It prefers light to medium soils. It needs an open sunny position. It is drought resistant. It is probably damaged by heavy frost. It is suited to alkaline soils.
Australia*,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
Nutrition Score: 51/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | 6.5 | 786 | 188 | 22.5 | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
It is grown from seed. The seed need treatment to break the hard seed coat. Normally this is by putting the seeds in very hot water and letting the water cool down overnight then planting the seeds immediately.
Propagation: The seed of most, if not all, members of this genus has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Acacia seeds that have matured fully on the bush and have been properly dried have a hard seed coat and can be stored in closed containers without deterioration for 5 - 10 years or more in dry conditions at ambient temperatures. It is best to remove the aril, which attracts weevils and can lead to moulds forming. The arils are easilyremoved by placing the seeds in water and rubbing them between the hands, then drying the seeds and winnowing them.
Medicinal Uses
The bark of all Acacia species contains greater or lesser quantities of tannins and are astringent. Astringents are often used medicinally - taken internally, for example. they are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, and can also be helpful in cases of internal bleeding. Applied externally, often as a wash, they are used to treat wounds and other skin problems, haemorrhoids, perspiring feet, some eye problems, as a mouth wash etc. Many Acacia trees also yield greater or lesser quantities of a gum from the trunk and stems. This is sometimes taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea and haemorrhoids.
Other Uses
The bark from old trees contain around 9.72% tannins. Bark harvested for its tannins should only be taken from mature stems, and only when the sap is rising at the beginning of the growing season - which is when the tannin content is highest and the bark is most easily removed from the wood. A gum is obtained from the trunk and branches. The heartwood is dark. The wood is close-grained, hard, heavy and durable with a faint scent, though it has a very disagreeable smell when fresh. It is used traditionally for making weapons such as clubs and would be useful for cabinet-work, turnery, etc.
Notes
There are about 1,350 Acacia species. Over 1,000 occur in Australia. Also as Mimosaceae.
Names & Synonyms
Miljee, Wilpiya waltari
References (16)
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- Fragm. 4:5. 1863
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- Hunter, J.T., 2017, Is there a relationship between contemporary high Aboriginal plant resource locations and mapped vegetation communities? Cunninghamia 17:27-34. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. ISSN 2200 - 405X
- ILDIS Legumes of the World http:www;ildis.org/Legume/Web
- Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 5
- Lister, P.R., P. Holford, T. Haigh, and D.A. Morrison, 1996, Acacia in Australia: Ethnobotany and potential food crop. p. 228-236. In: J. Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
- Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 318
- Pennock, A., et al, Australian Dry-zone Acacias for Human Food: Proceedings of a Workshop.
- Steenbeeke, Greg as part of the Plants Directory project. List of plant species from northern NSW that may be used as food plants p 1
- Williams A. & Sides, T., 2008, Wiradjuri Plant Use in the Murrumbidgee Catchment. Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority. Wagga Wagga, p 15
