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whistling thorn acacia.

The bulging bases on the thorns of the whistling thorn acacia. A number of black ants, that the plant has a symbiotic relationship with, can be seen. Vachellia drepanolobium, more commonly known as Acacia drepanolobium or whistling thorn, is a swollen-thorn acacia native to East Africa. The whistling thorn grows up to 6 meters tall. It produces a pair of straight spines at each node, some of which have large bulbous bases. These swollen spines are naturally hollow and occupied by any one of several symbiotic ant species. Photographed in Tanzania in April

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Filename: GF_f_Whistling-thorn_3768.jpg
Image Size: 3504x2336 / 3.4MB; bulging bases base thorn thorns whistling thorn acacia black ant ants plant tree symbiosis symbiotic Vachellia drepanolobium Acacia drepanolobium swollen-thorn East Africa spines spine bulbous swollen hollow species Tanzania Africa African botany nature natural arthropods cocktail ant colony colonies deters herbivores entomology environment eusocial mutualism obligate symbiosis partnership phyla protection animal fauna flora insect wildlife psi gflesch
Contained in galleries

The bulging bases on the thorns of the whistling thorn acacia. A number of black ants, that the plant has a symbiotic relationship with, can be seen. Vachellia drepanolobium, more commonly known as Acacia drepanolobium or whistling thorn, is a swollen-thorn acacia native to East Africa. The whistling thorn grows up to 6 meters tall. It produces a pair of straight spines at each node, some of which have large bulbous bases. These swollen spines are naturally hollow and occupied by any one of several symbiotic ant species. Photographed in Tanzania in April