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Vachellia rigidula
Also called Blackbrush, Blackbush
Blackbrush acacia is a thorny, drought-tolerant shrub or small tree from Texas and northern Mexico, grown for shade, forage and early honey. The key to growing it is full sun, sharp drainage and very sparing water.
Vachellia rigidula, commonly known as blackbrush acacia or chaparro prieto, and also known as Acacia rigidula, is a species of shrub or small tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its native range stretches from Texas in the United States south to central Mexico. This perennial is not listed as being threatened. It reaches a height of 5–15 feet (1.5–4.6 m). Blackbrush acacia grows on limestone hillsides and canyons.
A phytochemical study of V. rigidula by workers at the Texas A & M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, TX, reported the presence of over forty alkaloids, including low amounts (up to around 15 ppm) of several phenolic amines that had previously been found by the same research group in the related species Senegalia berlandieri, but which otherwise are known only as products of laboratory synthesis. Compounds found in the highest concentrations (ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand ppm) were phenethylamine, tryptamine, tyramine, and β-methylphenethylamine (that it can be misidentified as amphetamine). Other notable compounds reported were dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, and nicotine, although these were found in low concentrations (e.g. mescaline at 3-28 ppm).
Vachellia rigidula is used in weight loss dietary supplements because of the presence of chemical compounds claimed to stimulate beta-receptors to increase lipolysis and metabolic rate and decrease appetite.
Vachellia leucophloea · Vachellia nilotica subsp. hemispherica · Vachellia schaffneri · Vachellia tortilis · Vachellia xanthophloea · Roman Cassie · Bullhorn Wattle · Camel thorn · Sweet Acacia · Robber Thorn · Sweet Thorn · Babul
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Vachellia rigidula by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
