Robber-Thorn Tree
Acacia horrida
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Tropical Africa, India, Myanmar
- Flowering
- July-May
How to identify Robber-Thorn Tree
Identify Robber-Thorn Tree by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Very spiny, hard to approach (robber-thorn tree).
- Confirm leaf shape: Feathery bipinnate leaflets.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-May.
- Confirm it sits within the Mimosaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Robber-Thorn Tree.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Acacia horrida
- Genus
- Acacia
- Family
- Mimosaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests, scrub jungles
- Native to
- Tropical Africa, India, Myanmar
- Distribution
- Tropical Africa, India, Myanmar. Introduced in South America
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Feathery bipinnate leafletsrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Robber-Thorn Tree itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Legume
Typical of the Mimosaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- വച്ചേലിയ
About Robber-Thorn Tree
A member of the Mimosaceae family, Robber-thorn tree (Acacia horrida) is a tree. It is native to Tropical Africa, India, Myanmar. It grows in dry deciduous forests, scrub jungles. Flowering and fruiting run from July to May.
Mimosaceae
Mimosa/Acacia family
Robber-Thorn Tree belongs to the Mimosaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Mimosaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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