Albizia adianthifolia
Encyclopedia
Albizia adianthifolia is a tree in the Fabaceae
family. It is commonly known as the Flat-crown. Its range extends from eastern South Africa
to Tropical Africa
.
.
in suburban gardens when other indigenous
vegetation is removed. The trees usually produce abundant seeds which are easily grown in sandy soil.
favour the leaves and seedpods as food. The larvae of the Satyr Charaxes butterfly (Charaxes ethalion
) feed on the leaves of these trees.
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family. It is commonly known as the Flat-crown. Its range extends from eastern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to Tropical Africa
Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is most familiar in the West as depicted by its rain forests, this region of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with warm to hot moist climates caused by latitude and the tropical rain belt, the geology of areas, particularly mountain...
.
Description
This is a large deciduous tree with a spreading, flat crown, growing to a height of 25 metres (82 ft). A profusion of bright green leaves and heavily scented, fluffy flowers are produced in winter or spring. The leaves are twice compound with the leaflets being 2-5 x 8 mm in size. This tree favours sandy soils in warm, high rainfall areas. In South Africa it is found in coastal lowland forestsKwaZulu-Natal Coastal Lowland Forest
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Lowland Forest is a subtropical forest type that was once found almost continuously along the low-lying coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa...
.
Cultivation
Albizia adianthifolia is cultivated as an ornamental tree. The attractive habit of these trees makes them a popular garden tree, often being retained as a native plantNative plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
in suburban gardens when other indigenous
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
vegetation is removed. The trees usually produce abundant seeds which are easily grown in sandy soil.
Ecological Significance
Elephants browse the leaves of these trees and Blue DuikerBlue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...
favour the leaves and seedpods as food. The larvae of the Satyr Charaxes butterfly (Charaxes ethalion
Charaxes ethalion
The Satyr Emperor or Satyr Charaxes is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Africa.The wingspan is 45–55 mm in males and 50–63 mm in females....
) feed on the leaves of these trees.
See also
- Southern African Sand ForestSouthern African Sand ForestSouthern African Sand Forest is a subtropical forest ecoregion of the Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests] Biome. It grows on ancient sand dunes in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique...