Dichrostachys cinerea
Overview
Dichrostachys cinerea, known as the Sicklebush, Bell mimosa, Chinese lantern tree or Kalahari Christmas tree (South Africa
), is a legume of the genus Dichrostachys
in the Fabaceae
family.
Common names include: acacia Saint Domingue (French), el marabu (Cuba), Kalahari-Weihnachtsbaum (German), kéké or mimosa clochette (Réunion)), sickle bush (South Africa).
The generic name ‘Dichrostachys’ means '2-colored spike’ (in the sense of two-colored inflorescence
) and ‘cinerea’ refers to the greyish hairs of the typical subspecies, obtained from the Greek
‘konis’ and the Latin
‘cineres’.
It is native to Africa but can be found in India, the Caribbean and parts of Southeast Asia
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
), is a legume of the genus Dichrostachys
Dichrostachys
Dichrostachys is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family. It contains the following species:-Species:* Dichrostachys akataensis Villiers...
in the Fabaceae
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.
Common names include: acacia Saint Domingue (French), el marabu (Cuba), Kalahari-Weihnachtsbaum (German), kéké or mimosa clochette (Réunion)), sickle bush (South Africa).
The generic name ‘Dichrostachys’ means '2-colored spike’ (in the sense of two-colored inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
) and ‘cinerea’ refers to the greyish hairs of the typical subspecies, obtained from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
‘konis’ and the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
‘cineres’.
It is native to Africa but can be found in India, the Caribbean and parts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
