ALBIZIA

Albizia Durazz., Mag. Tosc. 31 (4): 13. 1772; Fl. China @ eFloras org 10: 62; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org

Unarmed trees or shrubs. Leaves bipinnate, stipules usually small or large, caducous, petiole and rachis with glands. Flowers usually in globose heads, arranged in axillary or terminal panicles; flowers sessile or pedicellate, bisexual, usually 5-merous. Calyx tubular or campanulate, toothed or shortly lobed. Corolla funnel-shaped, the petals connate to above the middle; 5- lobed. Stamens indefinite, connate at the base only or high up into a tube; free part usually much exserted, white, rose or rarely purple; anthers minute, eglandular. Ovary sessile or shortly stipitate, flattened, unilocular with many ovules, placentation marginal; style long, filiform; stigma minute, capitate. Legumes large, broadly linear or oblong, thin, strap-shaped, straight, plano-compressed, dehiscent or not, continuous and without pulp within. Seeds ovoid or orbicular, compressed.

121 species

Albizia lebbeck

Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., London J. Bot. 3: 87. 1844; Baker. in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 298. 1879; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. and Sind, 1: 496.19 11; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1. 186. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 64; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org; Acacia lebbeck (L.) Willd., Sp. Pl. 4: 1066. 1806; Mimosa lebbeck L., Sp. Pl. 1: 516. 1753; M. sirissa Roxb., Fl. Ind. 2: 544. 1832.

A large deciduous tree. Bark dark grey with horizontal lenticels, irregularly cracked; young branches pubescent, glabrous when old. Stipules small, ca. 4 mm long, linear, tomentose, caducous. Leaves alternate, bipinnate; rachis 8-16 cm long ( including petiole up to 5.5 cm long), usually with a large gland on petiole 1.25-3.7 cm from the base and often one or more between the upper pairs of pinnae; pinnae 2-4 pairs, 5-20 cm long, often with glands between the upper pairs of leaflets or between all the leaflets; leaflets 3-9 pairs, 2.5-5 cm x 1.1-2.5 cm, the obliquely oblong or elliptic-oblong, pale-green, apex obtuse or retuse, base round and oblique, margin entire, usually glabrous; petiolules very short, up to 4 mm long; bases of petioles and petiolules indurate and pubescent. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, whitish, very fragrant, in pedunculate heads, peduncles 6-8 cm long, solitary or in fascicles of 2-4 from the axils of upper leaves; bracts 5 mm long, linear, tomentose, caducous; pedicels ca. 4 mm long, slender, pubescent. Calyx ca. 0.4 cm long, campanulate, pubescent; tube ca. 3 mm long; teeth 5, ca. 1 mm long, deltoid. Corolla ca. 1 cm long, funnel-shaped; tube 6 mm long; lobes 5, ca. 4 mm long. Stamens indefinite, much exserted, 2.5-4 cm long; filaments connate at base (monoadelphous), staminal tube a little shorter than corolla tube, 4-5 mm long; anthers small, 0.5 mm, yellow-green, eglandular. Ovary shortly stipitate, glabrous, unilocular with many ovules, placentation marginal; style nearly equal to stamens, filiform; stigma minute, capitate. Legumes 15-30 cm x 2.5-5 cm, thin, flat, strap-shaped, rounded at both the ends, pale straw coloured, reticulately veined. Seeds 6-10; 6 mm x 7 mm, compressed, brown.

Flowering and Fruiting: May to July
Common Names: Siris Tree, Sirisa, Woman’s Tongue, East Indian Walnut, Flea tree, Frywood, Koko, Lebbek tree, Lebbeck; Saras (Hindi)