Scientific Name : Albizia julibrissin Durazz.
Common Name : Silk-tree, Mimosa
Chinese Name : 合歡
Family : MIMOSACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | Native range from Asia and Tropical Africa. |
|---|---|
| Meanings of name | The generic name Albizia commemorates an Italian naturalist, Fillippo delgi Albizzia, who first introduced the tree into Tuscany in Italy in 1749. The specific epithet julibrissin comes from the Persian word Ghulibrechim (silk-rose), alluding to its pink and ciliate stamens. As a result, the tree is also named as 'Silk-tree'. |
| Vitality | Silk-tree is fast-growing and hardy to cold and drought, hence usually regarded as a pioneer species in sandy and barren sites. |
| Application |
The wood is stiff and highly demanded for making furniture and other constructions in its native range. The bark extract is anti-inflammatory that is effective to relieve lung pain, wounds and bruises, and promote mental health by attenuating insomnia, confusion and asthenia. Since the seed oil contains profuse amino acids, it is always processed into hair shampoos and soaps. Silk-tree has been long cultivated by virtue of its spectacular ornamental value, with the early introduction events since the 18th centuries in England, Italy and North America. The tree was also mentioned frequently in Chinese literature. For instance, '合昏' mentioned in the poetry '佳人' by Du Fu (712-770), '合昏尚知時，鴛鴦不獨宿', could probably refer to '合歡'. In Hong Kong, the tree is planted for prized ornamental, with individuals scattering in West Kowloon Cultural District and Hong Kong Disneyland. The tree is not valuable for its green foliage; instead, when it flowers, the glamourous pink blossoms festoon the crown and is highly ornamental. Numerous protruded stamens are nectar-profuse and serve as important food sources to urban animals, with fragrance and graceful pink colour exhibiting as conspicuous marks for drawing their attention. |
| Growing habit | Deciduous tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 16 m. |
| Stems | Bark light grey, smooth, lenticellate. Branchlets angular. |
| Leaves | Bipinnately compound alternate, pinnae 4–12 pairs, opposite, leaflets 10–30 pairs, opposite, sessile, obliquely linear to oblong, base truncate, apex apiculate, margin ciliate, midvein close to the upper edge. Glands at leaf rachis of the uppermost pinnae and the proximal end of petioles. |
| Flowers | Panicles terminal, 15-20 clustered in head, peduncles pubescent. Flowers fragrant, pink, with many stamens. |
| Fruits | Pods strap-shaped, flat, brown when ripe. |
| Flowering period | May to July in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | August to October in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3020
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Albizia julibrissin Durazzini
— Plants of the World Online : Albizia julibrissin Durazz.