Acacia catechu

Morphology, Cultivation and use

1. Acacia catechu Dr. Vasanta I. Kahalkar Department of Botany M. G. College, Armori

2. Acacia catechu Botanical Name : Acacia catechu Family : Mimosaceae Local Name : Khair Origin and Distribution : The tree of Acacia catechu is found all throughout India. The main areas for its habitat in the country are the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and the Himalayan tracts.

3. Botanical Description This tree is deciduous and has short hooked spines, that reach up to the height of 9 to 12 meters. Leaves bipinnately compounds, alternate with almost 50 pairs of leaflets. The bark of the tree is grayish brown in colour, long and narrow strips. The flowers are pale yellow in colour and Inflorescence spikes. Fruit a pod flat, straight, unlobed , thin walled, beaked at apex, brown, glabrous . Seeds 3-8, orbicular or ovate, flattened.

4. Botanical Description Bark Inflorescence Fruit Tree

5. Cultivation The tree are propagated from seed. Seedling are raised in nursery beds or in polythene bags. Seed beds are well manure. The seed sowing time in most of the region extend from first March to June. The seedling are ready for transplantation in 10 to 12 month after sowing. The seedlings are transplanted after 12 months in the field. The planting is generally done in rainy season.

6. USES The dyes obtained from heartwood of the plant when it is boiled with water. It is widely largely used in painting and colouring paper. It is used for dying cloth. The ship cells are also dyed with katha to protect from weather and sea water. After dinner people eating vidda with katha used in pan.

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