Family: Mimosaceae

Common Name: इज़राइली बाभूळ

Etymology - Genus: Named after the Rev, George Harvey Vachell, chaplain to the British East India Company

Etymology - Species: Wavy, undulating

Ecosystem: Deciduous

Origin: Native

Location: Rajasthan

Description: Flat top, T shaped tree profile. Dark bark with deep vertical fissures on the trunk. During my observation in Rajasthan, trunk texture appears to be the only difference I found when comparing it with Vachellia planiforns. My visit to an exhibition at National Research Center on Camel, Bikaner; states V tortilis as a food source for camels (and not V planiforns). As per ILDIS: geographical distribution of V tortilis is in Rajasthan while that of V planiforns in Southern India. Cook's flora documents V planifrons stating its distribution as South India. Rajasthan was not part of Bombay Presidency, for which the Cook's flora is limited to. Thus Cook's flora is in sync with ILDIS. Flora of Rajasthan by B. V. Shetty & V. Singh still need to be referred. Till further investigation this website differentiates V tortilis & V planifrons only by the bark texture and all other features are considered similar.Bipinnately compound leaf, small in overall size. Two types of stipular spines are observed - pair of white, straight, conical, pointed, hard spines and pair of short curved spines. Absence of glands on rachis.Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets.Small white, creamy heads are observed at the leaf node, 2-3 together. Very small scaly bract on Peduncle.Pods are spirally twisted and turgid.

Root type: Taproot-Woody hard

Stem Appearance: Tree

Stem Cross Section: Circular

Stem Texture: Cracked

Root-Stem-Bark Description: Flat top, T shaped tree profile. Dark bark with deep vertical fissures on the trunk. During my observation in Rajasthan, trunk texture appears to be the only difference I found when comparing it with Vachellia planiforns. My visit to an exhibition at National Research Center on Camel, Bikaner; states V tortilis as a food source for camels (and not V planiforns). As per ILDIS: geographical distribution of V tortilis is in Rajasthan while that of V planiforns in Southern India. Cook's flora documents V planifrons stating its distribution as South India. Rajasthan was not part of Bombay Presidency, for which the Cook's flora is limited to. Thus Cook's flora is in sync with ILDIS. Flora of Rajasthan by B. V. Shetty & V. Singh still need to be referred. Till further investigation this website differentiates V tortilis & V planifrons only by the bark texture and all other features are considered similar.

Leaf - Characters

Attachment: Petiolate

Stipules: Spiny

Leaf Type: Bipinnate-Paripinnate

Phyllotaxy: Alternate-Spiral

Leaf Description: Bipinnately compound leaf, small in overall size. Two types of stipular spines are observed - pair of white, straight, conical, pointed, hard spines and pair of short curved spines. Absence of glands on rachis.

Leaflet - Characters

Lamina: Oblong

Lamina Bases: Rounded-Base

Lamina Margins: Entire

Lamina Apices: Rounded apice

Lamina Texture: Glabrous

Venation: Reticulate-Unicostate

Leaflet Description: Paripinnate, sub-sessile leaflets.

Fruit type: Lomentum

Fruit type Description: Pods are spirally twisted and turgid.

Seed Type: Dicotyledon

Germination type: Epigeal

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