Acacia rivalis
Acacia rivalis
Safety & Hazards
The seed of many Acacia species, including this one, is edible and highly nutritious, and can be eaten safely as a fairly major part of the diet. Not all species are edible, however, and some can contain moderate levels of toxins[ 1295 Title Acacia in Australia: Ethnobotany and Potential Food Crop Publication Janick (ed.), Progress in new crops pp 228-236, (1996) ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. Author Lister P.R.; Holford P.; Haigh T.; Morrison D.A. Website https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-toc.html Publisher ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. Year 1996 ISBN 0-9615027-3-8 Description ]. Especially when harvesting from the wild, especial care should be taken to ensure correct identification of any plants harvested for food[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ]. Especially in times of drought, many Acacia species can concentrate high levels of the toxin Hydrogen cyanide in their foliage, making them dangerous for herbivores to eat.
Botanical Description
Acacia rivalis is a shrub or a tree with a bushy, domed crown; it can grow 3 - 5 metres tall[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. The stem can be unbranched for about 1 metre before dividing, or can divide at or near ground level into a few to many stems. The main stems are more or less straight, around 7 - 10cm in diameter[ 1301 Title Acacia Search; Evaluation of Acacia as a woody crop option for Southern Australia Publication Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; Western A Year 2004 ISBN 0642 58585 7 Description ]. Although it produces true leaves as a seedling, like most members of this section of the genus, the mature plant does not have true leaves but has leaf-like flattened stems called phyllodes[ 286 Title Flora of Australia Publication Author Website http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. The seed is considered to have potential as a commercial food source; the plant has potential for commercial wood production; and the plant was at one time harvested on a commercial basis in South Australia for its gum[ 1301 Title Acacia Search; Evaluation of Acacia as a woody crop option for Southern Australia Publication Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; Western A Year 2004 ISBN 0642 58585 7 Description ]. An attractive plant, it is suited for cultivation as an ornamental or for amenity planting in dry inland areas[ 1301 Title Acacia Search; Evaluation of Acacia as a woody crop option for Southern Australia Publication Author Maslin B.R. & McDonald M.W. Publisher Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation; Western A Year 2004 ISBN 0642 58585 7 Description ].