Acacia caven
Encyclopedia
Acacia caven is an ornamental tree in the Fabaceae
family. Acacia caven is native to Argentina
, Bolivia
, Chile
, Paraguay
, and Uruguay
. It grows four to five metres tall and bears very stiff and sharp white thorns up to 2 cm in length. It blooms in Spring, with bright yellow flowers 1 cm to 2 cm in diameter.
of central Chile, where the species is a common associate of the Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis.
The flowers of A. caven are used as food for bee
s in the production of honey
.
from the seed pods is used for tanning
hides. The wood
is used as fuel
and to make posts for fence
s. The chief current human use for A. caven is in the production of charcoal
.
The flowers are used in perfume
.
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family. Acacia caven is native to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. It grows four to five metres tall and bears very stiff and sharp white thorns up to 2 cm in length. It blooms in Spring, with bright yellow flowers 1 cm to 2 cm in diameter.
Ecology
Prominent occurrences of A. caven are within the Chilean matorralChilean Matorral
The Chilean Matorral is a terrestrial ecoregion of central Chile, located on the west coast of South America. It is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, part of the Neotropic ecozone....
of central Chile, where the species is a common associate of the Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis.
The flowers of A. caven are used as food for bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s in the production of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
.
Industrial
TanninTannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
from the seed pods is used for tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
hides. The wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is used as fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
and to make posts for fence
Fence
A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...
s. The chief current human use for A. caven is in the production of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.
The flowers are used in perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
.
Botanical varieties
- Acacia cavenAcacia caven var. cavenAcacia caven var. caven is a perennial tree native to South America.-External links:Aronson J. 1992. Evolutionary Biology of Acacia caven : Infraspecific Variation in Fruit and Seed Characters....
(Molina)Molina var. caven - Acacia caven var. dehiscensAcacia caven var. dehiscensAcacia caven var. dehiscens is a perennial tree native to Argentina....
Ciald. - Acacia caven var. microcarpaAcacia caven var. microcarpaAcacia caven var. microcarpa is a perennial tree native to Argentina and Paraguay, it sprouts strawberry like fruit, and is known to spew gold coins every blue moon....
(Speg.)Ciald. - Acacia caven var. stenocarpaAcacia caven var. stenocarpaAcacia caven var. stenocarpa is a perennial tree native to Argentina and Paraguay....
(Speg.)Ciald.
