WATTLE (Acacia auriculformis)

Trade Name

Wattle

Scientific Name

Acacia auriculformis A. Cunn. ex Benth.

Family

Leguminosae

Common Names

Krathin-narong (Thailand); Kihia (Sudanese); Akasia (Indonesia); Papua Wattle (United Kingdom); Norther black wattle (United Kingdom)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Racosperma auriculforme

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

A medium-sized tree up to 20-30m tall, bole branchlesses for up to 12m, up to 50cm in diameter, barksurface deeply fissured grey or dark grey. When open-grown, tree has deep spreading crown and poor stem form. In Papua New Guinea bole not always straight,

Natural Habitat

A auriculiformis occurs in Eucalyptus savanna, is a main constituent of Accasia-Melaleuca woodlands, and is found on forest edged near swamps, in secondaly growth, in monsoon forest, in grassland with Melaleuca Spp. and is common in coastal savannna at in

Natural Distribution

New-Guinea, Kai Islands and Australia, also planted in plantations, and naturalized in Western Malesia.

Non Timber Uses

Bark contains 13% cold-water-soluble tannin. Good firewood and charcoal. Pulping and paper making properties excellent.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 200 micras. Vessels in radial multiples of 2 to 4. Simple perforation plates. Vestured pits. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma thin vasicentric. Occasionally axial parenchyma aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Ray width 1 to 3 cells. Non-septate fibers.

Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane
Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

Sapwood wide, somewhat paler then heartwood. Timber light brown. Sapwood is up to 60mm wide, narrower in other species.

Grain

Grain may be straight on wavy.

Texture

Texture fine.

Natural Durability

Liable to marine borer attack but mostly termite resistant. Attacked by Gano-derma lucidum, a root fungus. Sapwood permeable, heartwood moderately permeable.