Balanites aegyptiaca

Balanites aegyptiaca (also known as the desert date, Egyptian balsam and lalob in Sudan) is a species of tree, classified as a member of either the Zygophyllaceae or the Balanitaceae. This tree is native to much of Africa (excluding South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar, Senegal and Tunisia) and parts of the Middle East (from Syria south to Yemen). It can be found in many kinds of habitat, tolerating a wide variety of soil types, from sand to heavy clay, and climatic moisture levels, from arid to subhumid. It is relatively tolerant of flooding, livestock activity, and wildfire. It is an important food tree, with edible leaves and fruits, and has many local uses. The generic part of the binomial Balanites derives from the Greek word for an acorn and refers to the fruit. This name was coined by Alire Delile in 1813. In Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. 221 1813, the specific name aegyptiaca was applied by Carl Linnaeus as the species was initially described from specimens collected in Egypt. The orthographic variant name that complies with ICBN Art 62.4 for this species is Balanites aegyptiacus.