Cassie

This genus of 1,000 or more evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous trees and shrubs occurs throughout dry tropical to warm temperate regions, especially of Africa and Australia. Wattles are popular as ornamental garden and landscape plants for warmer regions, or as elegant indoor plants under cover in areas with cold winters. Generally fast growing, they are shortlived but flower when young. The name Acacia may come from akakia, the Arabic name for the plant. Various wattles are cultivated for lumber. A number of species contain many valuable compounds, which are used in medicine, flavoring, perfumery, dyes, tanning, adhesives, and insecticides. The acidic leaves of several species, including A. concinna (soap pod), are used as a substitute for tamarind in chutneys. When boiled, the foliage and wood of A. catechu produces a bark brown, sticky substance known as "catechu", "cutch", or "cachou", which crystalizes on cooling. Acacia dealbata (silver wattle, mimosa) is a source of gum arabic, and the flowers yield "mimosa absolute", used in commercial food flavorings. Acacia farnesiana is widely grown for the perfume industry, mostly in the south of France. A substance known as "cassie absolute" is extracted from the flowers. Its violet fragrance is thought superior to violets. Leaves of the myrtle wattle (A. myrtifolia) have been used as a substitute for hops in brewing. Acacia nilotica (syn. A. arabica) is a source of gum arabic or Babul gum, used in the Middle East to make deserts, candy, perfumed water, and alcoholic drinks. Some 25 species of Acacia yield gum arabic, most important being A. senegal, source of the finest-quality resin, known as "Kordofan gum". Sudan produces 85 percent of the world's crop, which is collected from the wild. Elegant wattle (A. victoriae) is widely planted by the bush foods industry for its seeds, which are ground into a rich, dark flour, used in baking and as a coffee substitute, known as "wattlecino". Several desert species (such as A. ancistrocarpa and A. trachycarpa) are used by Australian Aboriginals to treat headaches - twigs and leaves being mashed in water. Infusions or decoctions of bark and roots of some W. Australian species, such as A bivenosa and A tetragonophylla, are used for coughs, colds and laryngitis.

Large shrub or small tree with zigzagged shoots, slender spines 2.5cm (1in)long, and sparse, feathery leaves, 7.5cm (3in) long, divided into 4-8 pairs of leaflets and again into 12-20 smaller leaflets. Up to 3 deep yellow, very fragrant, globose flowers appear in the axils in summer.

Common Name:	Cassie
Other Names:	Prickly Moses
Botanical Name:	Acacia farnesiana
Genus:	Acacia
Family:	Mimosaceae
Native Location:	Tropical America
Cultivation:	Well-drained, neutral to acid soil in full sun. No regular pruning is required. To keep pot plants bushy, pinch out side shoots. To control size, cut back hard after flowering, removing two-thirds of the main growths. Wattles dislike disturbance, forming long taproots that are sensitive to damage. Repot and transplant only when necessary; trees may take a year to recover. Prone to spider mite and root mealybug when grown under cover. Tortrix moth caterpillars may damage the leaves and new shoots. Acacia species are noxious weeds in part of Australia, where sale and introduction are illegal.
Propagation:	By seed sown in spring at 21°C (70°F): seedshave hard coats, which should be nicked and soaked in water for 24 hours before sowing; by semi-ripe cutting of lateral shoots in late summer 16-18°C (61-64°F).
Harvest:	Bark and leaves (A. catechu) are cut as required for use in infusions and powders. Flowers (A. farnesiana) are picked as they open and are dried for use in infusions and baths, or distilled for oil. Seeds and pods are collected when ripe and pressed for oil. Resin (A. senegal) is scraped from the trunk and branches in the winter, after the rainy season, as it oozes from the bark; incisions are sometimes made to increase the quantity. Unhealthy trees are the best source of resin, which is processed into powder or dissolved in water.
Height:	3-7m (10-22ft)
Width:	3-5m (10-15ft)
Hardiness:	Min. 7°C (45°F)
Parts Used:	Bark, flowers, pods, seeds.
Properties:	An aromatic, stimulant herb that relieves tension and contains insecticidal compounds (in the flowers). It is reputedly aphrodisiac.
Medicinal Uses:	Internally for diarrhea and skin complaints (bark). Externally in baths for dry skin (flowers).
Culinary Uses:	Ripe seeds are pressed for cooking oil. Young, acid leaves flavor chutneys.
Economic Uses:	Bark and pods yield a black dye. Flower extracts are insecticidal. Gum arabic is widely used in the food industry in desserts and candy. Flowers are added to potpourris. Solid extract from flowers, "cassie absolute", has a fine violet fragrance, often used in perfumery.
Bibliography:	Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited Pp 97-98