Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Wight & Arn.

Sweet acacia (Vachellia farnesiana) is an erect shrub up to 7 meters tall of the Fabaceae family, native to northern tropical America, spreading as far as Australia and Asia. In Europe, particularly France, its flowers are an important raw material for the perfume oil industry, while in other countries the flowers are sold as cut flowers. Traditionally, this plant is also used to treat diarrhea, fever, and wounds.

A tropical plant that grows well at elevations of 400-1,200 m above sea level, with temperatures of 20-32 °C and annual rainfall of 400-1,400 mm/year. Favors sandy clay soil texture, full sun but sheltered from strong wind, and a soil pH of 5-8.
 

• Stem brown, erect, thorny, heavily branched, with lenticels.
• Leaves compound, bipinnate, alternate, with 10-22 pairs of leaflets, opposite, oblong-elliptical, rounded tip, oblique base, with 1-2 cm thorns.
• Flowers located at the branch tip or leaf axils, small yellow, fragrant, tubular calyx.
• Fruit a pod, flat, fairly straight or curved, hairy, with a sweet taste.
• Seeds ovate, brown.
   

• Propagated generatively (by seed) and vegetatively (by stem cuttings).
• Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours, then scatter; sprouts will appear after 3-4 weeks.

Trypsin inhibitors, phenols, alkaloids, quercetin haemagglutinin, gallic acid, gallocatechin, diosmetin, farnesin, kaempferol, myricetin, narcissin, naringenin, prunin 6"-O-gallate.

Treats diarrhea, fever, gonorrhea and bladder problems, typhoid; addresses swelling and bleeding; treats cough, bleeding gums, TB, wounds, sore throat.

• Select fresh leaves, undamaged and not rotten. Wash under clean running water and drain.
• Sun-dry covering the leaves with a dark cloth to avoid direct sun exposure, or use an oven (50-60 °C).
• Dry-sort to remove unwanted foreign material. Store the dried material in a container/plastic bag, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Bunga bandara (Sumatra), Indra laksana (West Sumatra), Sari konta (Bali), Bunga siam (Malay).