Black thorn acacia

Black-thorn acacia (Acacia mellifera): This plant grows either as a v-shaped, deciduous shrub or a single-stemmed tree with a rounded crown, growing 2 to 8m high. It is common and widespread throughout Namibia except for most of the Namib Desert and can be observed in Etosha National Park, the Kalahari Desert, Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip), central, northern and southern Namibia. The flowers are usually white to cream-coloured, sweetly-scented and bloom from August to October. There are up to 10 seeds per pod. The bark is a grey-brown colour with some white specks. Strongly curved thorns are black with a grey base.

Livestock and game such as giraffe and springbok browse the pods and leaves. The Obscure Sapphire and Silvery Bar butterflies are attracted to this plant. Axe handles and pick handles can be carved from the trunk and fencing poles can be made from thicker stems. Other uses include boiling the roots for treatment for venereal diseases, debarking the roots to curdle milk (in Kaokoland) and mixing with the ground pupae of the beetle (Diamphidia simplex) before smearing onto the heads of arrow for poison.