Acacia polyacantha subsp. campylacantha
Encyclopedia
Acacia polyacantha subsp. campylacantha is a perennial tree native to Africa
. Common names for it are Whitethorn and Witdoring. It is not listed as being a threatened species. Its uses include wood and medicine.
s that repel animals including crocodiles, snakes and rat
s.
s and is applied to wash the skin of children who are agitated at night time.
, but its thorns complicate its use. The tree's heartwood has a density
of about 705 kg/m³.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Common names for it are Whitethorn and Witdoring. It is not listed as being a threatened species. Its uses include wood and medicine.
Repellent uses
The root emits chemical compoundChemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
s that repel animals including crocodiles, snakes and rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s.
Medicinal purposes
A. polycantha's root extract is useful for snakebiteSnakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by a bite from a snake, often resulting in puncture wounds inflicted by the animal's fangs and sometimes resulting in envenomation. Although the majority of snake species are non-venomous and typically kill their prey with constriction rather than venom, venomous...
s and is applied to wash the skin of children who are agitated at night time.
Wood
The tree is good for using as firewoodFirewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
, but its thorns complicate its use. The tree's heartwood has a density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
of about 705 kg/m³.