Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach.) W. Wight, Fabaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Albizia fastigiata (E. Mey.) Oliv.; Mimosa adianthifolia Schumach.; Zygia fastigiata E. Mey.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: West African albizzia, flat-crown, rough-barked flat-top

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree (2.5) 4-30 m. high; crown flattened; bark grey to yellowish-brown and rough (rarely smooth in our area); young branchlets densely rather coarsely and persistently rusty- to fulvous-pubescent; pubescence sometimes becoming grey as the branchlet ages. Leaves: pinnae 5-8 pairs (rarely only 3 on occasional reduced leaves), each pinna ± narrowing upwards; leaflets of 2 distal pairs of pinnae (8) 9-17 pairs, mostly c. 7-17 (24) x 4-9 (15) mm., obliquely rhombic-quadrate or -oblong; proximal margin at base usually ± rounded into the pulvinus but not auriculate; apex of leaflet usually obtuse and mucronate, sometimes subacute, surface of leaflet thinly pubescent above, rather plentifully pubescent all over beneath, raised venation beneath close. Stipules and bracts at base of peduncles c. 5-12 x 3-6 (8) mm., ovate. Peduncles clothed as the young branchlets; bracteoles variably persistent, 5-8 mm. long, exceeding the flower-buds, linear-spathulate to oblanceolate. Flowers subsessile; pedicels pubescent, 0.5-1 (2) mm. long. Calyx 2.5-5 (rarely only 2) mm. long, pubescent outside. Corolla 6-11 mm. long, white or greenish-white, pubescent outside. Staminal tube exserted c. 1.3-2.5 cm. beyond the corolla, red to wholly greenish or pink. Pod dehiscent. 9-19 x 1.9-3.4 (4.3) cm., usually pale brown, oblong, flat or slightly transversely plicate, ± densely and persistently pubescent, not glossy, prominently venose. Seeds 7-9.5 x 6.5-8.5 mm., flattened"  (Flora Zambesiaca online).

Habitat/ecology:  In tropical Africa (native), "wide range of habitats (ecotypes may be recognizable). Edge of evergreen forest; rain-forest; deciduous woodland; wooded grassland; mainly in regrowth forest; humid land; fallow places; sometimes abundant; near sea-level to 1680 m altitude"  In Madagascar, "Humid, Subhumid; Grassland, Wooded Grassland, Woodland, Forest, Anthropic; 0-1499 m"  (African Plants Database online).  In Zimbabwe (native), "in forest and woodland"; also cultivated  (Flora of Zimbabwe online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Africa (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2013) (pp. 7-8) Voucher cited: J. Beachy & K. Kawclo US Army 248 (BISH)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Albizia adianthifolia, please let us know.