Senegalia senegal var. leiorhachis

Senegalia senegal var. leiorhachis, commonly the slender three-hook thorn and in Afrikaans the driehaakdoring (three-hook thorn), is a tall tree that reaches 8 m in height (SA Tree List No. 185). The growth form is slender, spindly.

The stem and bigger branches develop yellow bark that peels in papery strips, sometimes becoming corky. Unlike most Senegalia trees that bear their spines in pairs, this species has three prickles below each leaf node.

In North Africa, particularly Somalia, this tree has another name, Senegalia circummarginata (previously Acacia circummarginata). It looks different there, growing much larger with rounded crown. That large growth form does not extend to southern Africa, the naming apparently not integrated (yet).

There are four varieties of S. senegal in Africa, two of which found as far south as South Africa. The South African distribution of this variety is restricted to the Lowveld parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

The habitat is bushveld and woodland in gravelly soils at low elevations. The variety is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Schmidt, et al, 2002; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).