Golden Wattle flower

INTRODUCTION

• Golden Wattle is also known as Acacia pycnantha.
• It is Australia's national flower.
• The Golden Wattle blooms in spring, in beginning of September.
• It has large fluffy, yellow, sweet smelling flower heads.
• Each Golden Wattle flower head is a bunch of many tiny flowers.
• Acacias are popularly called Wattle.
• Australian Acacia pycnantha species are called Golden Wattles, while the African and American species are generally called Acacias.
• Golden Wattle are sometimes used as food by the larvae of hepialid moths of the genus Aenetus.
• The strong scent of Golden Wattles, creates an allergic reaction in some people sensitive to perfumes.

USES

• Wattles are grown for their wood. that can be used in house construction, furniture making, paper pulp, fibre board manufacture, cellulose for rayon, charcoal and firewood for village communities. Blackwood produces a high quality cabinet timber from which very beautiful furniture is made, especially in Tasmania!
• The extracted tannin is largely used for tanning leather, but can also be used in making adhesives, preserving ropes and nets, making dyestuffs, corrosion inhibitors and as pharmaceutical products.
• Acacia seeds have a high nutritional value, and are good sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
•  the ground and roasted seeds are used for flavouring sauces and ice cream, in breads, pasta and biscuits. Acacia seeds are good in diabetic diets.
• Gum is eaten by all traditional societies native to acacia areas, it is also used as a glue.
• Gum arabic is is commonly used as a thickener and emulsifier in prepared food products, confectionary, soft drinks, ice cream, cosmetics, toothpaste, soap, adhesives (eg. postage stamps), paints, ammunition and explosives, polishes, medicinal products, and industrial printing.

MEDICINAL USES

Wattles are grown for medicine.

• The tannin rich inner bark and gums of wattles have therapeutic effects.
• Bark can alleviate diarrhoea, gums can soothe inflamed skin.
• Africa use Acacia caffra as an emetic, and give the leaves to their children for tummy troubles.

In more recent times, Gum Arabic has been used as a major component of artificial blood serum. Sap from the phyllodes of the Hawaiin Acacia koa can inhibit Golden Staphylococcus bacteria, and there are recent reports that Acacia victoria in Australia can produce chemicals called triterpenoid saponins that inhibit tumour growth.