Kingdom Plantae Family Fabaceae Scientific name Acacia jacquemontii | Order Fabales Genus Acacia Rank Species | |
Similar Calligonum polygonoides, Crotalaria burhia, Ziziphus nummularia, Acacia beauverdiana, Acacia bakeri | ||
Acacia jacquemontii, known as Baonḷī (Hindi: बंवळी, कीकर), is a species of Acacia native to the Thar Desert of India. The species name refers to French botanist Victor Jacquemont. It is an erect shrub usually 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m) high, with multiple shoots coming from below ground. It commonly grows on dry sandy soils. It is very hardy, being capable of standing extremes of temperature and excessive drought. It is frost-hardy and coppices well. It is a fodder plant along with Ziziphus nummularia, which occurs in association with it.
This plant has a number of traditional medicinal uses, including treatment of snakebite, induction of abortion, and for chronic renal disease.
This shrub also plays an important role in stabilizing the sand dunes of its native desert habitat. The wood is valuable as firewood because it produces a large amount of heat. The branches are used in construction of huts and fences and the sturdy roots are used as rope.