Acacia × mangiiformis hybrida nova (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a wattle of commercial importance in Asia

Abstract

Acacia × mangiiformis Maslin & L.A.J.Thomson, hybrida nova, is described. Its parents are Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. and A. mangium Willd., two well-known and important plantation species in Asia and elsewhere. Acacia × mangiiformis arose naturally in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and in recent decades has become widely cultivated in southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam), India, and to a lesser extent in China and Taiwan. The tree has often been referred to as “Acacia hybrid” in forestry literature. Acacia × mangiiformis has morphological and other characteristics that are intermediate between its parents. Furthermore, it often has a faster growth rate, superior bole form and is more drought-tolerant than its parent species The hybrid is used primarily for pulp production but also has uses as solid wood products and fuelwood. The wood is similar to that of A. mangium but has a higher density and is more suitable for products where strength is important; it is also less susceptible to termite attack than are its parent species. Ten high-performing commercial clones of Acacia × mangiiformis have been developed in Vietnam and more are being selected. The formal naming of this important hybrid is dedicated to Professor Le Dinh Kha (formerly of Forest Science Institute of Vietnam), an outstanding researcher, supervisor, and authority on tree breeding who conducted much of the original research and promotion of Acacia × mangiiformis in Vietnam.