Tree
Acacia
Vachellia cornigera (L.) Seigler & Ebinger
FamilyFabaceae
EspañolAcacia
AlsoBullhorn acacia, Swollen-thorn acacia
A thorny shrub or small tree of dry Pacific-slope forest, easily recognised by its paired, swollen thorns shaped like cattle horns. The thorns are hollow and house colonies of stinging Pseudomyrmex ants, which the plant feeds with nectar from glands on the leaves and with small protein-rich bodies on the leaflet tips; in return the ants attack anything that touches the plant. Tiny yellow flowers in spikes are followed by mahogany-coloured pods with sweet pulp.
Sourced · see Record tab Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, per GBIF. · IUCN
Worth knowingIt is one of the classic ant-plants: obligate Pseudomyrmex ants (P. spinicola, P. flavicornis, P. nigrocinctus and P. particeps in Costa Rica) live inside the hollow horn-shaped thorns and defend the plant.
1on the estate
1carrying a tag
0sponsored
| Tag | Garden area | Zone | Planted | Status | Sponsored | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 356 | — | — | — | Planted | — |
0 of these have no tag yet; they will be numbered when the garden team re-tags the estate.