| Albizia lebbeck | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Albizia |
| Species: | A. lebbeck |
| Binomial name | |
| Albizia lebbeck | |
| Synonyms | |
See Taxonomy | |
Albizia lebbeck is a species of plant in the familyFabaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent andMyanmar.[1][2] It is widely cultivated andnaturalised in othertropical andsubtropical regions, including Australia. Common names in English includesiris,Indian siris,East Indian walnut,Broome raintree,lebbeck,lebbek tree,frywood,koko andwoman's tongue tree.[3] The latter name is a play on the sound the seeds make as they rattle inside the pods.Siris is also a common name of the genusAlbizia.
It is atree growing to a height of 18–30 m (59–98 ft) tall with a trunk .5 to 1 m (1 ft 8 in to 3 ft 3 in) in diameter. Theleaves are bipinnate, 7.5–15 cm (3–6 in) long, with one to four pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 6–18 leaflets. Theflowers are white, with numerous 2.5–3.8 cm (1.0–1.5 in) long stamens, and very fragrant. Thefruit is apod 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and 2.5–5.0 cm (1–2 in) broad, containing six to twelveseeds.[4]
Albizia lebbeck is found in a wide range of climates. The variety can be semi-desert, to humid regions.[5] It can last in long cold winters, as well as very dry climate.[6]A. lebbeck is a drought-tolerant tree that can be found throughout the tropics. This plant is native to Asia and is a very invasive species. Due to its ability to adapt to a broad spectrum of climates, this species has become very invasive. It has spread to different tropical regions throughout the world as invasive species.[7]
Mimosa speciosa as described byNikolaus Joseph von Jacquin refers toAlbizia lebbeck.Mimosa speciosa ofCarl Peter Thunberg, however, isAlbizia julibrissin. The species epithet 'lebbeck' is derived from the Arabic word (لَبَّخ).[5]
Albizia is named afterFrancesco Albizzi, an Italian naturalist. It is also commonly referred to as siris, its Hindi name.[8]
In theWest Indies and certain parts ofSouth America this tree is known as a 'Shak Shak Tree' because of the sound the seeds make in the pod.[citation needed]
Its uses include environmental management,forage, medicine and wood. It is cultivated as a shade tree inNorth andSouth America.[9] In India and Pakistan, the tree is used to producetimber. Wood fromAlbizia lebbeck has a density of 0.55-0.66 g/cm3 or higher.[10]
Even where it is not native, some indigenousherbivores are liable to utilize lebbeck as a food resource. For example, thegreater rhea (Rhea americana) has been observed feeding on it in thecerrado ofBrazil.[11]
Lebbeck is anastringent, also used by some cultures to treat boils,cough, to treat theeye,flu,gingivitis,lung problems, pectoral problems, is used as a tonic, and is used to treat abdominaltumors.[12] The bark is used medicinally to treatinflammation.[13] This information was obtained viaethnobotanical records, which are a reference to how a plant is used by indigenous peoples, not verifiable, scientific or medical evaluation of the effectiveness of these claims.Albizia lebbeck is alsopsychoactive. It is also very effective in migraine. All parts of the plant are useful, such as the leaves, root, and stem.[14] The flowers of the plant are traditionally used in Chinese traditional medicine to treatinsomnia.[14]
Thetaxonomic history ofA. lebbeck is somewhat convoluted. It was originally described byCarl Linnaeus asMimosa lebbeck. In its original description theMimosa lebbeck was a large Acacia tree that grew in Egypt.[15]George Bentham placed thespecies in its presentgenus, but other authors believed that the plant described by Linnaeus was the relatedAlbizia kalkora as described by Prain (based on theMimosa kalkora ofWilliam Roxburgh), and erroneously referred to this species asAlbizia lebbeck. However,Francisco Manuel Blanco usedMimosa lebbeck to refer toAlbizia retusa ssp.retusa. In addition, thespecific epithet is occasionally misspelledlebbek.[16]
Junior synonyms are:[9]
Independently, there also exists a genus namedLebeckia, whose range is restricted to South Africa. It is also a legume, but a member of theFaboideae, a different legumesubfamily.
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