Albizia amara

Albizia amara
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Albizia
Species: A. amara
Binomial name
Albizia amara
(Roxb.) Boiv.
Synonyms[1]
  • Acacia wightii Wight & Arn
  • Mimosa amara Roxb.
  • Mimosa pulchella Roxb.
  • Acacia nellyrenza Wight & Arn.
  • Acacia amara Willd.

Albizia amara is a tree in the Fabaceae family. Its range includes southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa to Sudan and Ethiopia. It is also found in India and Sri Lanka.[2]

Description

Albizia amara is a mid-sized, deciduous tree which resembles acacia (sans the thorns).[3] The bark of the tree is grey in color and is grainy and scaly.[3] The leaves consist upto 15 pairs of side stalks and the leaflets are tiny and can consist of about 15-35 pairs.[3] The flowers are whitish-yellow powder puffs with long stamens and golden pollen.[3] The pods are flat and are about 20 cm long.[3] The leaves thin out during February–March and are renewed in April.[3] The flowers are present throughout May and the fruits ripen during October and November.[3] It is a host plant for Achaea janata[4]

Ecology

A. amara is intolerant of shade, and resistant to drought. In Africa it grows mainly in sandy woodlands.[2]

A. amara and Hardwickia binata are the dominant canopy trees in the Central Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous Forests ecoregion of India.[5] It is also found in the Anamalai, Palani and Cardamom hills of Western Ghats and the Godavari area, the Javadi Hills of Eastern Ghats in South India[6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Albizia amara (Roxb.)B.Boivin". Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp). Accessed 18 July 2014
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Krishen, Pradip (2006). Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide. Penguin Books India.
  4. ↑ Sen-Sarma, P. K. (2012). Forest Entomology. APH Publishing.
  5. ↑ Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC. pp. 324-326
  6. ↑ Mani, M.S (Dec 2012). Ecology and Biogeography in India. Springer Science & Business Media. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
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