About Senegalia berlandieri (Benth.) Britton & Rose
Nomenclature and Classification
Senegalia berlandieri, commonly known as Berlandier acacia, guajillo acacia, guajillo, huajillo, and huajilla, is a shrub belonging to the Mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae.
Native Range
It is native to the Southwestern United States and northeastern Mexico.
Size and Flowering
This shrub grows between 1 and 5 metres (3.3 to 16.4 feet) tall, and produces spherical white blossoms from February through April.
Etymology
The specific epithet berlandieri honors Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French naturalist who studied native wildlife of Texas and Mexico.
Alkaloid Content and Toxicity
Senegalia berlandieri contains a wide range of alkaloids, and is known to cause toxic reactions in domestic animals including goats.
Livestock Use Recommendation
Because it is toxic to livestock, it should not be used as forage or fodder.
Dietary Supplement Use
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared use of Acacia rigidula unlawful in dietary supplements due to frequent adulteration with synthetic drugs, many supplement sellers began replacing Acacia rigidula with Senegalia berlandieri (often labeled as Acacia berlandieri) in these products.
Supplement Adulteration
Some of these products list their acacia extracts as containing Methylsynephrine, which is an entirely synthetic drug that has never been found in nature.
