Albizia amara

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Orthokaryota
Cladus: Neokaryota
Cladus: Photokaryota
Cladus: Diaphoretickes
Cladus: CAM
Cladus: Archaeplastida
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Mimoseae
Genus: Albizia
Species: Albizia amara
Subspecies: A. a. subsp. amara – A. a. subsp. sericocephala
Name

Albizia amara (Roxb.) Boivin, 1834
Synonyms

Homotypic
Acacia amara (Roxb.) Willd., Sp. Pl., ed. 4, 4: 1074 (1806)
Feuilleea amara (Roxb.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 187 (1891)
Mimosa amara Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 2: 13 (1799)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
Regional: Eastern Africa
Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Regional: Central Africa
Chad
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Indian subcontinent
India, Sri Lanka

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Boivin, L.H. in P.-S.Laurentie & al., 1834. Encyclopedie du Dix-neuvieme Siecle 2:34.

Additional references

Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Albizia amara in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 October 09. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Albizia amara. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 October 09. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Albizia amara. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 09 October 2022. Reference page.

International Plant Names Index. 2022. Albizia amara. Published online. Accessed: October 09 2022. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Albizia amara in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2022 October 09.

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: bittervalsdoring
English: bitter false-thorn
മലയാളം: വരച്ചി
svenska: Bitteralbizia
中文: 阿拉玛合欢
Albizia amara is a tree in the family Fabaceae. Its range includes southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa to Sudan and Ethiopia. It is also found in India and Sri Lanka.[2]
Description

Albizia amara is a mid-sized, deciduous tree which resembles acacia without the thorns.[3] The bark of the tree is grey in color and is grainy and scaly.[3] The leaves consist of up to 15 pairs of side stalks and the leaflets are tiny and can consist of about 15–35 pairs.[3] The flowers are whitish-yellow powder puffs with long stamens and golden pollen.[3] The pods are flat and are about 20 cm long.[3] The leaves thin out during February–March and are renewed in April.[3] The flowers are present throughout May and the fruits ripen during October and November.[3] It is a host plant for Achaea janata.[4]
Ecology

Albizia amara is intolerant of shade, and resistant to drought. In Africa it grows mainly in sandy woodlands.[2]

Albizia amara and Hardwickia binata are the dominant canopy trees in the Central Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous Forests ecoregion of India.[5] It is also found in the Anamalai, Palani and Cardamom hills of Western Ghats and the Godavari area, the Javadi Hills of Eastern Ghats in South India.[6]
Uses
Albizia amara with flowers and pods

Medicinal uses

The leaves and flowers are used for treatment of boils and ulcers. The leaf is also used for treatment of erysipelas.[7]
Paste of leaf and rootbark is used to cure both skin diseases and poisonous bites.[8] [This journal is probably a predatory journal].
The seeds are regarded as astringent and used in the treatment of piles, diarrhea and gonorrhea.[8]
The flowers are used as a remedy for cough, ulcers, dandruff and malaria.[8]
The pharmaceutical compounds of seeds and leaves has potential broad spectrum of anticancer activity.[8]

Its wood is used for construction and furniture, and as a firewood. Albizia amara provides many environmental services: control of soil erosion, wind break, shade provider. It is also an ornamental tree in urban areas. Ruminants can feed its leaves.[9]

In colonial times, in India, its "plentiful" wood was extensively used as railway fuel.[10]
Gallery

References

"Albizia amara (Roxb.)B.Boivin". Retrieved 18 November 2015.
"Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R, Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp Archived 2009-01-16 at the Wayback Machine). Accessed 18 July 2014 [1]
Krishen, Pradip (2006). Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780144000708.
Sen-Sarma, P. K. (2012). Forest Entomology. APH Publishing. ISBN 9788131303320.
Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC. pp. 324–326
Mani, M.S (December 2012). Ecology and Biogeography in India. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789401023313. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
Khare, C.P. (22 April 2008). Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 29, 30. ISBN 9780387706375.
"Albizia amara – A Potential Medicinal Plant: A Review" (PDF). International Journal of Science and Research. 5.
Heuzé V., Thiollet H., Tran G., Lebas F., 2016. Albizia (Albizia amara). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/337
Cox, Arthur F., 1895. Madras District Manuals: North Arcot (North Arcot District Gazetteer). Madras: Government Press. p. 25.