Recent research shows that the formerly broadly
circumscribed, genus Acacia is
polyphyletic and should be treated as comprising at least 5 genera, namely, Acacia sensu stricto, Acaciella, Mariosousa, Senegalia and
Vachellia.
The indigenous Acacia
sensu lato in East and Southeast Asia comprise 52 species:
32 species of Senegalia,
12 species of Acacia sensu stricto
and 8 species of Vachellia.
Of all, only 8 species are endemic to Malaysia :
Senegalia borneensis,
S. donnaiensis,
S. megaladena var. indochinensis,
S. pennata subsp. kerrii,
S. pluricapitata,
S. pseudointsia,
S. rugata, and
Vachellia leucophloea.
Classification schemes for Acacia sensu lato showing species numbers and major areas of occurrence.
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Simplified,
computer-generated cladogram of Acacia
sensu lato showing five major monophyletic lineages in red. https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/CaFlora1.htm
