Vachellia farnesiana

Of all Acacia species, this plant has the greatest distribution. It was first described by Europeans in 1625 by Tobias Aldini from plants grown from seed collected in Santo Domingo, in what is now the Dominican Republic. The plant is deciduous over part of its range, but evergreen in the mojave desert. Growing from multiple trunks, the bark is whitish gray. The base of each leaf is accompanied by a pair of thorns on the branch. The main leaf is bipinnately compound, divided into several smaller leaflets called pinnae. Each pinna is further divided into even smaller leaflets, giving a fernlike appearance. The flowers are small, yellow to orange, and very fragrant, appearing in dense, globular clusters. They are a major feature, attracting pollinators like butterflies. The dark brown fruit is a seed pod. The common name, Huisache, is derived from Nahuatl and means many thorns. In southern Europe this species is extensively planted for the flowers, which are a perfume ingredient.