Umbrella Thorn

© Nigel Dennis

Igama

Umbrella Thorn

Igama lesi-Latin

Acacia tortilis

Ihlathululo

Amaqolo womuthi lo ayanghwara begodu amlotha ukuya embaleni onzima. Umuthi lo unameva amade anqophileko akhambisana nalawo amafitjhana agobeneko. Ameva la amatsikana begodu amila ngamabili. Amathuthumbo abumba isiqhenyana sawo esigodweni somuthi esidala. Amathuthumbo wona aziimbholo zombala omthuthu kanye nokumhlophe. Iinkhwanyana ezimumatha imbewu zimthuthu khulu, zinombala oligolide khulu begodu zigobene esiphethweni. Amakari la mancani begodu apha umuthi lo isakhiwo esifana namasiba. Iinlwani zidla amakari kanye namevawo, nokho ameva ziwadla khulu nakasesemancani. Ameva amadala naqinileko angaba yingozi eenlwanini eziwadlako.
Ameva la abukhali begodu amhlophe, amanye anqophile amanye agobene. Ahleleke ngalinye nofana ngamabili. Umuthi lo utlhurha ngenyanga kaNobayeni (ehlobo) ngamatlhurhelo aminyeneko amhlophe, kodwana ukuvela kwamathuthumbo kwenzeka ngokutjhiyatjhiyana nangokuna kwezulu. Unesakhiwo esisezingeni eliphezulu, wakheke njenge sambureni ekuhlotjaniswa nomuthi wameva. Uvame ukukhula uphakame ngamamitha angaba mahlanu ukuya kamasumi amabili ngokwemvelo. Iinyoni ezinengi zisithanda khulu isakhiwo somuthi lo ngokuthi ziwusebenzisele ukwakha iindlwana zazo. Kumumuthi okhula buthaka ngokuphakathi begodu ufinyelela ukuphakama okubalelwa emamitheni amathathu ukuya kamahlanu kanye nokunaba okumamitha abunane ukuya kalisumi nathathu.

Amathuthumbo kanye neenthelo

Umhlobo lo womuthi i-Acacia tortilis (Umbrella Thorn) ukhiqiza iimbewu eziimbalwa nezidliwa ziinlwani zomango, kuthi kesinye isikhathi udliwe babantu. Isikhwanyana esimumethe imbewesi sakheke ngokudege kanye nokugobeka, sinombala ozotho okumthuthu begodu ziwela ehlabathi zingakavuleki. Zibuthelelwa ngobunengi khulu begodu zidliwa nokhunye mabhalabhala, Impala, abobhejana kanye neendlovu.
Leyindlela imbewu le engakavuleki erhatjheka ngayo ukuthi imile godu ngemva kokudlula ngaphakathi kwendeni yesilwana. Iinkhwanyana ezimumatha imbewu zeminye imihlobo yemithi le zivuleka ngaphambi kobana ziwele phasi ehlabathini, begodu zitjaleka ngokurhatjheka.

Umsebenzawo

Iplanka lawo lisetjenziselwa ukwenza amapala wesibiyelo sedrada, iinkuni, ifinitjhara kanye neengodo zokwakha ikarana. Imbewu iba hlangana nokudla okuphuma phambili kweenlwani zemarhalawumbeni begodu amathuthumbo wawo anambitha kamnandi, nekukudla okutholakala emithini ngesikhathi sebusika e-Sub-Sahelian belt. Amaqolo asetjenziselwa ukwenza iintambo e-Tanganyika. Ikghomu lawo liyadliwa begodu lingasetjenziswa ukusiza umuntu weensini ezibuthakathaka. Lomumuthi othandwa khulu ekubuyiseni imibundu yemilambo e-India kanye ne-Afrika. Amagatja anameva asetjenziselwa ukhwakha iwogo kanye nesibaya. Amaqolwawo kuthiwa amthombo omuhle khulu we-tannin.
Abantu be-Afrika bakhe basebenzisa imbewu ukwenza ubukhazikhazi. Abantu benarheni ye-Senegal basebenzisa imirabhu ukwenza imikhonto, kuthi abantu be-Lake Chad basebenzisa isiqu sawo ukwenza umkhonto wokuhlaba iimfesi. Kuthi labo ababizwa nge-African nomads basebenzise khulu imirabhu ethambathambileko ukwakha izidlu zesikhatjhana. Imbewu kanye namakari amumethe ama-nutritions amanengi begodu avamise ukudliwa ziinyamazana kanye nefuyo. IImfene zomhlobo we-Vervet Monkeys kanye neenKghabu zidla amakari nakasesehlaza, kuthi ezinye iinlwani zidle imbewu evamise ukuwela phasi.

Indawawo yemvelo

Umuthi lo i-Acacia tortilis ungatholakala eendaweni ezimibundu yesanda yamagega nemilambu kanye nemadwaleni ukuya emirhobeni, kodwana ibalekela iindawo ezinamanzi amanengi. Kumhlobo okghona khulu ukujamelana nesomiso, umila eendaweni ezinokuna kwezulu elibalelwa emamilimitheni amasumi amane ukuya ema-1200 mm, kanye nesomiso esingaba yinyanga ukuya kezilisumi nambili. Umuthi lo uthanda khulu umhlobo wehlabathi ebizwa nge-alkaline soils kodwana uvame ukuthumba umhlobo obizwa nge-saline kanye ne-gypseous soils.

Lapho itholakala khona

Umuthi lo i-Umbrella Thorn uhlangana naleyo yomhlobo we-Acacia esabalele ngobubanzi khulu. Umuthi lo ungatholakala enarheni ye-Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland, Tranvaal, Orange Free State kanye neKapa. Umuthi lo wahlathululwa kade eminyakeni eyadlulako emakhulu amabili enarheni ye-Egypt kanye ne-Arabia. Kuthiwa lapho imile khona kubonakala kuba nobuhle botjani kanye nehlabathi.