Brief Summary
provided by EOL authors
Acacia haematoxylon is distributed in southern Africa and found specifically in Namibia and into South Africa as far as the Cape region. A prototypical ecoregion of occurrence is the Kalahari xeric savanna, where it may occur with A.erioloba amd Boscia albitrunca.
With a common name of Grey camelthorn, this tree exhibits distinctive high quality red heartwood, suitable for making musical wind instruments, as originally described in the year 1815 by the explorer Lichtenstein. Similar to A.erioloba it is a used as a firewood as well as fodder (especially the velvety grey indehiscent pods). Grey camelthorn holds economic significance in the southern Kalahari region. The wood is the second best source of firewood (after Acacia erioloba) in the region where fuelwood is scarce. The wood is hard and is also employed extensively for timber and for construction.
