Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth., Fabaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 10 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Albizia procera)

Other Latin names:  Acacia procera (Roxb.) Willd.; Albizzia procera nom. illeg.; Mimosa elata Roxb.; Mimosa procera Roxb.

Common name(s): [more details]

Afrikaans: basterlebbeck

English: black siris, false lebbeck, forest siris, monkeypod, rain siris, safe siris, safed siris, silver bark rain tree, tall albizia, tee-coma, white siris, white siris tree, white siristree, womens-tongues

Fijian: vaivai, vaivai ni vavalangi

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Its [PIER ed.: Albizia procera's] flowers have a white to greenish white corolla and pale yellow or white filaments, and the fruit is red-brown." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78) "A[cacia] procera is typically a small tree 7-15 m tall, but it can reach 30 m with a 9 m long straight or crooked bole 35-60 cm in diameter. The bark is smooth, pale grey-green, yellowish-green or brown with horizontal grooves, sometimes flaky in thin, small scales. The underside of the bark is green, changing to orange just below the surface; inner bark pinkish or straw-coloured. ... The compound leaves have 2-5 (-8) pairs of sub-opposite pinnae, with a petiole 5.5-12 cm long with a large, brown, oblong gland near the base; gland narrowly elliptical, 4-10 mm long, flat and disc-like or concave with raised margins. The pinnae are 12-20 cm long, with elliptical glands below the junction of the 1-3 distal pairs of petiolules, 1 mm in diameter. Leaflets are in 5-12 pairs on each pinna, opposite, asymmetrically ovate to sub-rhomboid, 2-4.5 (-6) cm x 1-2.2 (-3.3) cm, base asymmetrical, often emarginate, apex rounded or sub-truncate, both surfaces sparsely puberulous or finely pubescent, rarely glabrous above (Valkenburg, 1997). The inflorescence is a large terminal panicle, to 30 cm long, with sessile, white or greenish-white, sessile flowers in small 15-30 flowered heads, 13 mm in diameter on stalks 8-30 mm long; the corolla funnel-shaped, 6-6.5 mm long, with elliptical lobes. The fruit is a flat, papery pod, dark red-brown, linear-oblong, 10-25 cm long by 2-3 cm broad with distinctive long points at both ends and distinctive marks over each seed. It contains 6-12 brown, ellipsoid seeds, 7.5-8 mm x 4.5-6.5 mm and 1.5 mm thick that are arranged more or less transversely in the pod (Valkenburg, 1997). At maturity the pod splits open to release the seeds which are smooth, greenish brown with a leathery testa." "Related species are A. canescens and A. lebbeck. A. procera is clearly distinguished from A. lebbeck by the smooth pale green or buff bark, larger leaves, more diffuse canopy, much smaller flowers, and smaller, flatter red pods (Lowry and Seebeck, 1997)." (CABI datasheet; includes links to references)

Habitat/ecology:  "In Fiji Albizia procera is cultivated and often naturalized between sea level and about 200 m. elevation as a tree 7-10 m. high (up to 30 m. where indigenous)." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)

"Commonly found in low-elevation, open secondary forest up to 1,200 m in regions with a pronounced dry season, it is able to grow on stony, dry, and shallow soils. .nbsp;. . Vigorous trees have reached 0.9-1.2 min diameter in 12 years and up to 2 m in diameter in 30 years. . . . Growth rings of 1.3 cm have been measured." (Tropical legumes, p. 179)

". . .tall albizia, or cvs thereof, is reported to tolerate drought, and stony, dry, and shallow soils. . . . Ranging from Tropical Very Dry through Tropical Moist Forest Life Zones, tall albizia is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 8.8 to 29 dm (mean of 25 cases = 16.8) and annual temperature of 24.7 to 26.3°C (mean of 12 cases 25.3)." (Purdue University)

Propagation:  "The trees [PIER ed.: Albizia procera] are easily propagated using seedlings or stumps." (Tropical legumes, p. 179)

Native range:  Temperate Asia (China, Taiwan); Tropical Asia (Bhutan, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea); Australia (Queensland) (GRIN)

"Distribution: India to Malesia and Australia, cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. The material at hand would suggest its introduction into Fiji as the 1920's or 1930's." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  "In Fiji Albizia procera is cultivated and often naturalized between sea level and about 200 m. elevation. . . ." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)

Albizia procera is cited as naturalized and invasive in Puerto Rico. (Invasive species threats in the Caribbean region, p. 104)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 78-79) "VANUA LEVU: Mathuata: Lambasa. DA 1490." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 79) "In Fiji Albizia procera is cultivated and often naturalized between sea level and about 200 m. elevation. . . ." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1985) (pp. 78-79) "VITI LEVU: Mba: Lautoka and vicinity. Greenwood 794. Si. John IS174. DA 971. DF 1045 (Damanu 181). Rewa: Botanical Gardens, Suva, Tothill 137. DA 1005. 12166. 12359." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 79) "In Fiji Albizia procera is cultivated and often naturalized between sea level and about 200 m. elevation. . . ." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Plants of Papua New Guinea (year unknown) accessed 20171209
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		PNGTreesKey (year unknown) accessed 20171209
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Comments:  "Dated specimens bore flowers in March, fruits between December and July." (Flora Vitiensis nova, vol 3, p. 78)

For additional synonyms, see The Plant List.

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