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Mimosa, Persian silk tree, silk-tree

tall albizia, white siris

Habit Trees to 6 m. Stems strigillose, bark light gray, smooth, with inconspicuous scattered, brownish lenticels. Trees 4–15(–25) m. Stems to 8.5 cm diam., glabrous, bark greenish, smooth, thin, with scattered, orange lenticels.
Leaves

20–32 cm;

stipules 2 mm;

petiole 3–7.5 cm, glabrescent or puberulent;

gland proximal or sub-basal, elliptic, length to 1.5 times width;

pinnae (4 or)5–12 pairs, 5.5–10 cm, with gland between 1 or 2 distal pairs;

leaflets (13–)17–22(–36) pairs, blades not bicolored, oblong, 0.7–1.5 cm, venation palmate, midvein marginal or submarginal, base strongly asymmetric, truncate, apex acute, short-mucronate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

terminal pair not heteromorphic.

9–35 cm;

stipules 2 mm;

petiole to 6 cm, glabrescent;

gland ± proximal, elliptic, length 3 times width;

pinnae (1–)3–6 pairs, 10–21 cm, with gland between 1 or 2 distal pairs;

leaflets 6–9 pairs, blades bicolored, inequilaterally oval or oblong, 2–5 cm, venation palmate, midvein submarginal, base acute, apex rounded, mucronate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely appressed-puberulous, adaxially darker;

terminal pair not heteromorphic.

Inflorescences

18–25-flowered, terminal or axillary, capitula;

axis densely strigillose.

20–25-flowered, axillary, capitula;

axis densely strigillose.

Peduncles

3–9 cm, densely strigulose;

bracts linear-lanceolate, 2(–5) mm.

1–2 cm, densely strigillose;

bracts caducous, proximal, linear lanceolate, 1.3 mm, densely strigillose.

Pedicels

to 1 mm.

to 1 mm.

Flowers

calyx campanulate, (2.5–)6 mm, lobes 5 or 6, glabrescent;

corolla campanulate, (8–)12 mm, lobes 4 or 5, strigillose distally;

stamens 32, white proximally, pink distally, 30–35 mm, tube (10–)12 mm;

terminal or central flower calyx 3 mm, lobes 5, glabrous;

corolla 9–12 mm, lobes 5;

stamens 28 mm, tube long-exerted, to 18 mm.

calyx campanulate, 2 mm, lobes 5 or 6, densely strigillose;

corolla infundibuliform, 5.3 mm, lobes 5, strigillose;

stamens 45, 15 mm, tube 2 mm;

terminal or central flower calyx 2.5 mm, lobes 5, glabrous;

corolla to 7 mm, lobes 5, densely strigillose;

stamens 70, 28 mm, staminal tube to 6 mm.

Legumes

fuscous-ferruginous, 10–20 × 1.5–2.6 cm, margins straight or slightly constricted, base acute, apex rounded, narrowing to a beak to 1.5 cm, valves membranous, glabrescent, smooth or slightly rough.

reddish brown, 13–16 × 1.5–3 cm, base acute, apex rounded to a beak to 1 cm, valves membranous, glabrescent, smooth with faint reticulations.

Seeds

6–8(–10), 9 × 5 mm.

4–8(–12), 6.5–8.5 × 4–6.5 mm.

2n

= 26, 52.

= 26.

Albizia julibrissin

Albizia procera

Phenology Flowering spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall. Flowering fall; fruiting winter.
Habitat Disturbed roadsides, thickets, riverbanks. Roadsides, thickets.
Elevation 100–700 m. (300–2300 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; sw Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies (Jamaica), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay), s Europe, s, se Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; se Asia; Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles), Central America (Panama), South America (Brazil, Venezuela), Africa]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Albizia julibrissin is commonly cultivated and is thought to be the hardiest of the Albizia species. It is especially attractive when flowering; staminal filaments are deep pink, grading to white at the base. Albizia julibrissin forma rosea (Carrière) Rehder is a dwarf, bushier plant with bright pink flowers.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Albizia procera is cultivated in southern Florida and is found outside cultivation in Miami-Dade County. In its native range, wood from the species is used for furniture and general construction.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Albizia Fabaceae > subfam. Caesalpinioideae (Mimosoid clade) > Albizia
Sibling taxa
A. kalkora, A. lebbeck, A. procera
A. julibrissin, A. kalkora, A. lebbeck
Synonyms Mimosa procera
Name authority Durazzini: Mag. Tosc. 3(4): 13, plate [opp. p. 1]. (1772) (Roxburgh) Bentham: London J. Bot. 3: 89. (1844) — (as Albizzia)
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