General Info – summary

This impressive spineless Tree with a rough barked cylindrical trunk is up 20m high.  Bipinnate Leaves have large, asymmetric, hairy, leaflets & lack stipels.  Small, bisexual, regular Flowers in a half-spherical inflorescence.  Stamens with creamy white long filaments provide colour.  Style extends past the anthers.  The many coloured, flat, wide young Fruit becomes a reddish-brown dehiscent pod with hard seeds.

Description

Albizia versicolor  

Previous Names: Albizia mossambicensis, Albizia versicolor var. mossambicensis.

SA Tree No. 158

Common names: (Afr) Grootblaar-valsdoring, Sand-kiaat.  (Eng) Large-leaved Albizia, Large-leaved False-thorn, Poison-pod Albizia, Umvanghaas.  (isiZulu) Umbhangazi, Umphiso, Umpiso Albizia Umvangazi, Umphisu, Umvangazi.  (Northern Sotho) Mohlabafota, Mohlalabata.  (Setswana) Mmola, Mokgobongo.  (siSwati) Umvangatana, Sivangatane, Sivangatsane.  (Tshivenda) Mutamba-pfuna, Mutamba-pfunda, Muvhamba-ngoma.  (Xitsonga) Aphesi, Mbhesu, Mbheswi, Mmola, Mokgobongo.

Family:  Fabaceae, or Leguminosae (Pea, bean or legume family).  After the Orchidaceae and the Asteraceae, the Fabaceae is the third largest Angiosperm (flowering plants) family with 700+ genera and close to 20 000 species.  Local Tree genera on this website include Acacia (Vauchellia, Senegalia), Albizia, Bauhinia, Bolusanthus, Burkea, Calpurnia, Colophospermum, Cordyla, Cyclopia, Dichrostachys, Erythrina, Erythrophleum, Faidherbia, Indigofera, Mundulea, Peltophorum, Philenoptera, Piliostigma, Schotia and Xanthocercis.  The Fabaceae are recognisable by their fruit and by their pinnately compound Leaves.  Leaves may also be simple – even bilobed and usually have stipules – some of which may be spinescent.  Leaflets are usually entire.  Flowers are bisexual and bracteate.  Regular flowers usually have 4-5 sepals and the same number of petals.  Irregular flowers have 4-5 sepals and 5 or less petals.  Stamens have anthers that have 2 pollen sacs and there are usually at least twice the number of stamens as petals – often 10.  The superior Ovary has one locule that may contain 1 or more ovules.  The Stigma and Style are simple.  The single carpel develops into the Fruit, which is usually a pod.  This pod dehisces on both sides and may break into segments.  Seeds vary.

Name derivation: Albizia – named after F. del Albizzi who introduced the genus into Italy in about 1749.  versicolor – variety of colours of the spring leaves or briefly coloured young pods.  In South Africa, there are 11 indigenous species in the genus Albizia.

Conservation: National Status: L C. (Least Concern).  Assessment: 2005 (W. Foden and L. Potter).

Tree

Unlike the “Acacia” (now Vauchellia or Senegalia) Trees, the species of Albizia all lack spines.  This tree is usually single or somewhat multi-stemmed.  It is a medium to large tree (photo 541) and may occasionally reach 20m high.  It has a cylindrical trunk with a diameter up to 1,5m.  The Crown (photo 541) is rounded to spreading.  The Bark matures from grey-brown, becomes very rough, corky blackish and flaky (photo 593 & 540).  Hairy, light brownish branchlets are yellow, and become darker.  Visible Lenticels (usually raised corky elongated areas on the plant that allow the uncontrolled interchange of gases with the environment) are visible on photo 597 – under Fruit.

Leaves

The alternate Leaves are bipinnate (compound: twice pinnate) and up to 18cm long.  The up to 18cm long central axis or Rachis (main stem of a compound leaf) has lateral “branches” not leaflets and the leaflets are on these “side branches”).  Young leaves are a pinkish red (photo 598).  Mature leaves have up to 5 pairs of pinnae which support up to 6 pairs of relatively large pinnules (leaflets).  These asymmetric Leaflets may reach 7 x 5cm and are broadly hairy on both sides.  Both the yellow, off-centre Midrib, and side veins are clearly visible below (photo 598).  Thick reddish coloured hairs are present on the lower surface.  The largest leaflets occur near the leaf apex.  Each leaflet is elliptic to ovate (egg shaped).  The leaflet Apex is rounded or shortly pointed.  The Base tapers broadly.  Leaflet Margins are Entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented).  The hairy Petiole (leaf stalk) is grooved on the upper surface, is up to 7,5cm long and has a Gland that occurs just above the Pulvinus (joint-like thickening in the petiole or petiolule and depending on their turgidity, they can contract or expand causing the leaf to collapse or expand – common in legumes).  A gland is usually present at the junction of the top or upper pairs of pinnule (photo 598).  Very short Petiolules (stalks of leaflets) are present.  Stipules (basal appendages of the petioles) are present on new leaves (photo 598).  Stipels (secondary stipules situated at the base of a leaflet of a compound leaf) are absent.  In autumn, the deciduous leaves turn yellow.

Flowers

On this deciduous tree, the Flowers often appear with the new leaves.  They are bisexual and actinomorphic (Regular, symmetrical.  Flowers are vertically divisible into similar halves by more than 1 plane passing through the axis).  The half-spherical inflorescence (photo 542) is supported by a peduncle (stalk of flower cluster) that is up to 6cm long.  The Perianth (a collective term for the calyx and corolla) is biseriate (calyx and corolla are in two distinct whorls).  The Calyx is up to 8mm long, has 5 lobes and is gamosepalous (a calyx whose sepals at least partly united).  The Corolla has 5 white Petals with a funnel-shaped base.  The initially white flowers turn a pinkish yellow.  The numerous, much exerted Stamens are basally united into a tube.  The long Filaments are exserted (sticking out; projecting beyond – photo 542).  They are creamy white and help to give the flower its colour.  The Anthers are peltate (shield-shaped) and the Theca (pollen sacs) open upwards.  There is a single Pistil (a unit of the Gynoecium, the female element of the flower, composed of the Ovary, Style and Stigma).  The Ovary is stalk-less or nearly so and superior (one that is free from the calyx or perianth).  There is a single filiform (thread or filament like) Style which belatedly extends the Stigma beyond the stamens.  This helps to secure cross-pollination.   (Sep-Dec).

Fruit

The thin, wide Fruit is a dehiscent and hairless Pod that is up to 23 x 5,5cm.  It is glossy, reddish brown to purplish when mature and usually contains up to 6 Seeds.  The presence of the seeds can be seen (photo 597) in bumps protruding from the flattish pods.  Many young coloured pods make an attractive sight.  The margins may be thickened (photo 597).  Ellipsoidal seeds have a filiform (thread or filament like) Funicle (the stalk by which the ovule is attached to the ovary wall or placenta).  (Jul to Sep – of the following year.)

Distribution & Ecology

This good shad tree is common in the lowveld (land areas between and altitude of 800 and 1 200m).  This is a moderately dry area receiving between 380 and 650mm of annual rain.  It occurs in northern Kwazulu-Natal, Swaziland, Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, Mozambique, large areas of Limpopo, and southern Zimbabwe).  Here thorny trees are common and include species of “Acacia” (now either Vachellia or Senegalia).  Albizia versicolor trees often occur close to water and on mountain slopes.  The Brown-headed Parrots (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) have beaks strong enough to eat the hard Seeds.  Elephant and antelope, including Kudu browse the Leaves.  The Nectar attracts honeybees.  Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the roots (a symbiotic relationship) help both the tree, the fungus and increase soil fertility.

Ethnobotany

This tree yields good quality grained Wood that is similar to Kiaat (Pterocarpus angolensis).  Wood may be attacked by borers.  Once dry, the wood is stable but sawdust can cause sneezing.  Heartwood may be a purplish brown or black.  The sapwood is white.  The wood is used to make mortars (a sturdy, cup-shaped vessel in which material is crushed or ground – used in cooking), for carving, furniture, drums and cabinet making.  It is also used for charcoal manufacture and as fuel (may cause many sparks).  About 8 000 Seeds have a mass of 1kg.  Seeds and pods – especially when young are crimson coloured, and are toxic to stock.  Strong winds blow these young Pods from the trees.  They contain methylpyridoxine, which is also found in the non-indigenous Ginkgo biloba.  It causes a disease called albiziosis, which can be fatal.  This is a serious problem.  It is treatable with high doses of pyridoxine hydrochloride (a vitamin B6).  Old pods are less toxic.  Because of the toxic pods, it is best to avoid planting in areas where grazing may occur.  The Gum is also poisonous.  Soap can be made from the lathering qualities of powdered root bark and leaves.  Tanning material, which, contains about 5% tannins and fibre are extractable from the Bark.  Bark and roots are used by traditional medicine.  The tree is assumed by some to be an indicator of underground water.  This is a good ornamental shade tree, with not invasive roots.  Trees grow up to 80cm per year and do best in well-drained soils.

References

Boon, R. 2010. Pooley’s Trees of eastern South Africa. Flora and Fauna Publications Trust, Durban.

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lotter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. 2018. Trees and Shrubs Mozambique.  Publishing Print Matters (Pty) Ltd.  Noordhoek, Cape Town.

Coates Palgrave, M. 2002. Keith Coates Palgrave Trees of Southern Africa, edn 3. Struik, Cape Town.

Foden, W. & Potter, L. 2005. Albizia versicolor Welw. ex Oliv. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2022/12/07.

Lawrence, G. H. M, 1951. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. The Macmillan Company, New York. Tenth Printing 1965.

Palmer, E. & Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of southern Africa. Balkema, Amsterdam, Cape Town.

Schmidt, S. Lotter, M. & McCleland, W. 2002. Trees and Shrubs of Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park. Jacana, Johannesburg.

van Wyk, B. & van Wyk, P. 1997 Field guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town.

 

http://www.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?g=pe&p=albizia%20versicolor%20welw.%20ex%20oliv.

http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=125730

http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Albizia_versicolor.PDF

http://posa.sanbi.org/flora/browse.php?src=SP

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6094/78a788457adac09a014985f1112ffc798e45.pdf