Common Name: Rusty acacia. Tamil Name: Velvelam
Rusty acacia is native to India and Sri Lanka; it grows to a height of about 8-10 meters. The bark of the tree is brown in color with deep vertical fissures. The leaves are bipinnate. The leaves are arranged alternatively and the leaflets are arranged in an opposite manner. The five pair of pinna is seen. The number of leaflets in each pinna is around 15 pairs. The tree has conical shaped paired prickles; these prickles are slightly curved and in some cases not curved. There is gland on the petiole about 1.4 cm away from the base of the petiole. The leaflets are sessile and measure around 8 mm. The central nerve of the leaflet is hardly visible but is slightly away from the center of the leaflet. The inflorescence is in the form of an axillary a spike. The flowers are creamy white in color and fade into light greenish color. The fruit is in the form of a flat pod with pointed ends. The pod measures around 16.5 cm in length and 2.3 cm in breadth. The pod encloses around 8 flat oval shaped seeds which are greenish-grey in color and measure around 1 cm across. The seeds are stalked inside the pod.
