Albizia

__NOTOC__Taxobox
name = "Albizia"


image_width = 200px
image_caption = Persian Silk Tree ("Albizia julibrissin"), foliage and blossoms
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Rosidae
unranked_ordo = Eurosids I
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Mimosoideae
tribus = Ingeae
genus = "Albizia"
genus_authority = Durazz., 1772
diversity = About 150 species, see List of Albizia species
diversity_link = List of Albizia species
synonyms ="Albizzia" Benth.

"Albizia" is a genus of about 150 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family, Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, Central, South, and southern North America and Australia, but mostly in the Old World tropics.

They are commonly called silk trees or sirises. Peculiarly, the obsolete form of spelling the scientific name - with double 'z' - has stuck, so that another commonly used term is albizzias (though the form albizias is also found, particularly in species that are not widely known under a common name). The scientific name refers to the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who in the mid-18th century introduced siris to Europe.

These are usually small trees or shrubs with a short lifespan - though the famous "Samán del Guère" near Maracay in Venezuela is a huge "Albizia saman" specimen and several hundred years old. The leaves are pinnately or bipinnately compound. Their small flowers are in bundles, with showy stamens much longer than the petals. Some species are considered weeds.

Persian Silk Tree or Pink Siris ("Albizia julibrissin") extends well north into temperate regions in East Asia and is by far the cold-hardiest species. It tolerates temperatures down to about -22°F (-30°C), provided it gets adequate summer heat to ripen the shoots. In North America, where it is commonly grown as an ornamental tree, it is often confusingly called "mimosa", a name which correctly belongs to species in the related genus "Mimosa". In several US States, "A. julibrissin" has become naturalized and is regarded as an invasive species.

"Albizia" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moths of the genus "Endoclita" inclulding "E. damor", "E. malabaricus" and "E. sericeus".

Taxonomy

Numerous species placed in "Albizia" by early authors were eventually moved to other genera, most notably "Archidendron". Other genera of Ingeae ("Abarema", "Archidendropsis", "Balizia", "Blanchetiodendron", "Calliandra", "Cathormion", "Enterolobium", "Havardia", "Hesperalbizia", "Hydrochorea", "Pararchidendron", "Paraserianthes", "Pseudosamanea" and "Serianthes") have also received their share of supposed "Albizia" species, as have the Mimoseae "Newtonia" and "Schleinitzia", and "Acacia"Verify source|date=March 2008 from the Acacieae. Some presumed "silk trees" are in fact misidentified members of the not very closely related "Erythrophleum" from the Caesalpinioideae and the Faboideae "Lebeckia".ILDIS (2005)]

The delimitation of "Falcataria" and "Pithecellobium", close relatives of "Albizia", is notoriously complex, with species having been moved between the genera time and again, and probably will continue to do so. These include for example "Falcataria moluccana" (Moluccan Albizia, formerly "Albizia moluccana"), a common shade tree on tea plantations. Other closely-related genera like "Chloroleucon" and "Samanea" are often merged with "Albizia" entirely.

Gallery of "Albizia procera"

ee also

* List of Albizia species

Footnotes

References

* (2005): [http://www.ildis.org/ Genus "Albizia"] . Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2008-MAR-30.