Chinese Albizia

Often cultivated as a shade tree; wood is used for planks. In some parts of India and Ceylon this species is used for fodder. The amount of nitrogen in the soil is increased by the presence of symbiotic bacteria on the roots.

A deciduous tree, bark grey, nearly smooth, young parts hairy. Leaves bipin¬nate, stipules c. 2.5 cm long, obliquely cordate, rachis c. 15-30 cm long having a large gland about 2.5 cm from the base, pinnae 7-20 pairs, 5-15 cm long, leaflets 20-45 pairs, more or less sessile, linear-oblong, falcate, subacute at the apex, trun¬cate at the base, c. 1.3-2.6 cm long and c. 2.5 mm broad, glabrous above, pilose on margin and midrib below; midrib close to the upper edge; small glands between the upper pairs of pinnae. Inflorescence peduncled heads, 1-4 together, arranged in small axillary or terminal panicles; peduncle c. 1.75-3 cm long. Flowers yellowish, pedicels very short or absent, bracteate; bracts ovate, acuminate, deciduous, c. 1. 25 cm long. Calyx tubular, 2.5 mm long, teeth acute, corolla c. 5-6 mm long, hairy outside, lobes c. 2.5-3 mm long. Stamens forming a tube at the base, 2.5-3.3 cm long, staminal tube longer than the corolla tube. Pods c. 10-17.5 cm long, c. 1.3-1.8 cm broad, thin, glabrous, light brown, minutely punctate. Seeds 8-12.

Himalaya, India, Ceylon, S.E. Asia, Malaysia, China.

Distribution: W. Pakistan, Lower Kagan, Jhelum, Kishenganga valleys, eastward up to 4000 ft.; India (Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bombay, Madras; Asam, Sikkim), Ceylon, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Southern China, South East Asia, Philippine, Java.

200-1500 m

Fl. Per. April-June.

chinensis: of China

Local

Native to South and Southeast Asia.

Perennial, Trees, Woody throughout, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems greater than 2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Extrafloral nectary glands on petiole, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules deciduous, Stipules free, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Leaves compound, Leaves bipinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Inflorescence panicles, Inflorescence umbel-like or subumbellate, Inflorescences globose heads, capitate or subcapitate, Inflorescence terminal, Flowers actinomorphic or somewhat irregular, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Petals united, valvate, Petals ochroleucous, crea m colored, Petals greenish yellow, Stamens numerous, more than 10, Stamens long exserted, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit indehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit or valves persistent on stem, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seed with elliptical line or depression, pleurogram, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Albizia chinensis is a species of legume in the genus Albizia, native to south and Southeast asia, from India to China and Indonesia.

The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, belonging to the famous Florentine family Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid-18th century, and it is sometimes incorrectly spelled Albizzia.

Seed of Albizia chinensis Albizia chinensis leaves