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Datasheet:Acacia confusa

1. NOMENCLATURE

Synonyms: Acacia richii auct. non A. Gray, Racosperma confusum (Merr.)
Common Names (english): Acacia Petit Feuille, Small Philippine Acacia, Formosa Acacia (Taiwan Acacia) and Formosan Koa
Common Names (non-english): xiang-si (Chinese)
Taxonomic Position: Fabaceae (pea family)

2. DESCRIPTION

Plant Type: tree
Morphology: Leaves alternate, modified as sickle-shaped flattened leafstalks (phyllodes) like koa, narrowly lanceshaped, curved, 6–9cm long and 5–10mm wide, slightly thickened, hairless, gradually narrowed to both ends, with tiny curved point at apex, with several fine parallel veins from base, dull green. Flower clusters of light yellow balls (heads) 1cm in diameter, one or two on slender stalks about 13mm long at leaf base. Flowers slightly fragrant, tiny, numerous, stalkless in balls, nearly 6mm long, consisting of five sepals, no petals, many spreading threadlike separate stamens ending in dot anther, and narrow pistil with threadlike style. Fruits (pods) narrow flat, 5–10cm long, 8–10mm wide, dark brown, short-pointed at apex, narrowed into stalk at base, not smaller between seeds, splitting open. Seeds 4–8, beanlike, 5mm long, elliptical, slightly flattened, dark brown, slightly shiny.
Similarity to Other Species: has been confused with Acacia auriculiformis (which has more curved phyllodes and a different shape of flower clusters); maybe be confused with other phyllodes-bearing species.

3. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY

Geographical Distribution: Taiwan, South-Eastern China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Hawaii.
Native Habitat: Northern Philippines (?)
Hardiness and Environmental Requirements: not frost-hardy
Soil Requirements: undemanding

4. PROPAGATION AND CYCLE

Types of Propagation: seeds
Seed Germination Notes: seeds can be stored over many months/years and germinate reliably and quickly after a hot water treatment (which is supposed to imitate a forest fire) and possibly scarification; each seed should absorb water and swell almost 2-fold before it can germinate.
Life Cycle: ---

5. HISTORY AND CULTURE

Limited use in Taiwanese traditional medicine. There are no reliable reports of traditional entheogenic use. (Anecdotal reports of the bark being smoked in the Philippines exist on the Internet.)

6. PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS

Documented properties: attractive and currently explored for ayahuasca analogues; traditional use in Taiwanese medicine for skin problems (and, possibly, for liver diseases).
Parts of the plant with therapeutic/psychoactive value: Root bark, stem bark.
Phytochemical Information: N,N-dimethyltryptamine and N-methyltryptamine in the root bark (reported at levels around 1% each), and in smaller concentrations in stem bark.

6. REFERENCES AND CITATIONS

STS Threads with Information: ---
External Links:
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/trees/CommonTreesHI/CFT_Acacia_confusa.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_confusa
http://wiki.dmt-nexus.me/Acacia_confusa
Citation Sources: ---

[Mandrake]

Many thanks for the promised datasheet!

I want to remind everyone that you can reply to datasheet threads with any external links or additional information you find relevant. We'll also try to keep the main post updated whenever new threads about the species are created elsewhere in STS.

Thanks again,

Mandrake