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Useful Tropical Plants

Albizia glaberrima

(Schumach. & Thonn.) Benth.

Fabaceae


This species is often confused with Albizia zygia[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
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Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

+ Synonyms

Acacia comorensis Baill.

Albizia eggelingii Baker f.

Albizia glabrescens Oliv.

Albizia purpurea E.Fourn.

Albizia warneckei Harms

Mimosa glaberrima Schumach. & Thonn.

Pithecellobium glaberrimum (Schumach. & Thonn.) Aubrév.

Common Name:

Albizia glaberrima
Looking into the canopy
Photograph by: Phillipe Birnbaum; African plants - A Photo Guide.
© Philippe Birnbaum

General Information

Albizia glaberrima is a deciduous tree with a flattened, umbrella-shaped crown; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole can be straight and cylindrical, or can be irregular; it is up to 100cm in diameter[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
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Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of medicines and wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

Tropical Africa - Guinea Bissau east to Kenya and south to Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique; also in Comoros and western Madagascar.

Habitat

Most commonly found in semi-deciduous forest, but sometimes also in logged-over evergreen forest and in evergreen bushland. It is often characteristic of secondary forest[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitDeciduous Tree
Height25.00 m
Growth RateSlow
PollinatorsBees, Insects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Requires a sunny position, even when small[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
A slow-growing tree[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Trees can be coppiced and pollarded[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is applied externally as a wash to treat fever. A cold water extract of the root bark is used to treat bilharzia[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The dried, pulverized twig bark is applied to scarifications to treat blenorrhagia[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. A decoction of the twig bark is drunk against chest pain[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

A decoction of the root, in a mixture with other plant ingredients, is used as a bath to treat anaemia[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The ash of burned roots is applied to scarifications to treat liver complaints[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Agroforestry Uses:

A good shade tree, it is planted to provide shade in coffee, tea, banana and cocoa plantations[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The heartwood varies from dirty white to reddish brown, sometimes with darker stripes; it is distinctly demarcated from the white sapwood, which is up to 75mm wide. The grain is straight, sometimes interlocked, texture moderately coarse[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The wood is moderately heavy, it saws and works well, with little blunting of saw teeth and tool edges. A reduced cutting angle is required to prevent tearing in planing operations. A filler is needed to obtain a smooth finish. The nailing, screwing and gluing properties are satisfactory. The wood does not turn well. It is moderately durable, with some resistance to termite attack, but susceptible to pinhole borers and marine borers[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The wood is used for furniture, construction, stools, beehives, tool handles, grain mortars, doors and beds. It is also suitable for light and heavy flooring, interior trim, joinery, mine props, shipbuilding, vehicle bodies, railway sleepers, toys and novelties, boxes and crates, carving and plywood making[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Albizia%20glaberrima>

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