Species

Parts consumed

AFRICA

A. amythethophylla

leaves eaten in Malawi

A. asak

gum eaten

A. brevispica

fresh gum eaten by the Mbeere children

A. burkei

gum eaten

A. bussei

young thorns eaten by the Somali

A. drepanolobium

green pods eaten in East Africa

A. edgeworthii

seeds large, eaten when nearly ripe, either raw or cooked in Somalia

A. ehrenbergiana

seeds and pods edible

A. erioloba

gum astringent, edible; seeds eaten, used by the Korenas as a coffee substitute

A. erubescens

gum very sweet, eaten by children

A. fleckii

gum edible

A. gerrardii

bark eaten in soup in East Africa

A. haematoxylon

gum and fruit eaten

A. hamulosa

pods and leaves edible

A. hebeclada sensu lato

gum edible

subsp. hebeclada

gum edible

A. hockii

fresh gum eaten by the Mbeere children; bark very sweet, chewed by children

A. karroo

seeds and pods edible; gum eaten by children, also sometimes used in confectionery; fibrous inner bark beneath the coarse outer bark chewed to alleviate thirst

A. kirkii

subsp. kirkii

bark used to prepare a tea-like beverage

A. laeta

gum edible, pleasant flavour

A. luedieritzii

gum and raw seed eaten in southern Africa

A. macrostachya

gum edible. In some areas of the Sahel the seeds are boiled and eaten

A. mellifera sensu lato

gum eaten, pods eaten as a famine food in the Turkana

subsp. detiens

gum and leaves eaten

A. mogii

gum edible

A. nebrownii

gum eaten

A. nigrescens

leaves eaten as a spinach

A. nilotica sensu lato

tender young pods eaten as a vegetable; roasted seed serve as a spice. Seeds eaten by the Mbeere as a famine food; seeds roasted and used as a favourer; seeds femmented to an alcoholic beverage. Boiled bark provides a coffee-like beverage in Tanzania

subsp. nilotica

gum eaten in southern Africa

subsp. subulata

gum edible, sometimes used in confectionery

A. polyacantha

subsp. campylacantha

wood ashes used as a salt substitute; gum eaten

A. reficiens sensu lato

gum edible

subsp. misera

gum eaten

A. rehmanniana

branches edible when soft

A. robusta

subsp. robusta

gum eaten

subsp. usambarensis

gum eaten

A. senegal

seeds dried and preserved for human consumption; gum edible

A. seyal

var. seyal

gum edible when fresh and fresh gum eaten by the Mbeere children; bark used to prepare a tea-like beverage

A. tortilis sensu lato

green and dry pods and gum edible

subsp. heteracantha

gum, leaves and pods (without the seeds) eaten; fibres beneath the coarse outer bark chewed to alleviate thirst

subsp. spirocarpa

gum, leaves and pods (without the seeds) eaten; fibres beneath the coarse outer bark chewed to alleviate thirst

F. albida

seeds widley used as a famine food - seeds boilded in Zimbabwe, boiled and reboiled and skins removed before eating elsewhere in southern Africa; pods high in starch and sometimes eaten; pods used as a condiment in Tanzania.

INDIA

A. leucophloea

ground bark and seeds mixed with flour and eaten; young pods also eaten

A. senegal

seeds eaten as a vegetable

A. erioloba

A. karroo

A. tortilis

F. albida

A. holosericea

seed

pod

gum

green pod

seed

seed

Moisture

8.0

66.8

13.9

75.0

6.5

4.8-8.3

Ash

4.2

2.1

3.3

1.5

3.9

3.1-4.8

Protein

25.8

3.8

6.8

4.2

24.8

21.2-30.0

Fat

4.6

1.2

0.6

0.3

2.2

10.4-11.5

Fibre

11.4

4.0

5.7

7.2

6.8

34.5

Carbohydrate

46.0

22.1

69.7

11.7

55.8

57.0-57.3

Energy kJ/100 g

1380

480

1308

280

1437

1138-1657

Ca

385

222

963

187

252

80-555

Mg

275

86.7

111

45

276

207-209

Fe

4.88

2.21

16.6

3.90

6.81

6.7-10.3

Na

5.85

1.70

36.0

1.03

18.3

37-120

K

1000

452

183

296

1125

271-1174

Cu

10

0.53

1.01

0.44

1.57

0.4-2.8

Zn

3.48

0.97

0.27

0.77

2.55

3.7-4.2

P

314

101

33.3

62.7

390

Thiamin

0.77

0.16

0.02

0.23

0.9

Riboflavin

0.15

0.06

0.01

0.02

0.17

Nicotinic acid

1.34

2.01

0.04

0.85

2.04

Vitamin C

14.9

1.1