This species closely resembles Albizia coriaria, and the two species are much confused in the literature. They are used for similar purposes[].

Common Name:

General Information

Albizia ferruginea is a deciduous tree with a heavily branched, spreading, dome-shaped crown. It usually grows up to 45 metres tall, occasionally to 50 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be free of branches for up to 22 metres and up to 100cm in diameter. It is usually unbuttressed, but can have small, thick buttresses up to 1.5 metres high[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its timber, which is used locally and also exported, and also for local medicinal use. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental shade tree and roadside tree[].
A widespread and often common timber species which has suffered heavy exploitation in the past. Mature individuals are scattered and becoming rare in places. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

The wood dust is aromatic and peppery. It may cause irritation to the nose and throat of sawmill workers[, ].
The root bark and the gum from the stem bark are used in the preparation of arrow poison[].
The leaves are rich in saponins and are used as fish poison in the Central African Republic[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - moister regions from Senegal to Uganda, south to Angola and DR Congo.

Habitat

A canopy and emergent tree, mainly found in lowland, semi-deciduous forests, but also at lower densities in evergreen forest and savannah; at elevations from 700 - 1,200 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	35.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant, even as a seedling, demands a sunny position[].
In exposed sites, seedlings may grow up to 3 metres tall in 5 years. In Ghana seedlings reached a height of 2 metres within 2 years[].
In a selection test for agroforestry species on acid, aluminium toxic soils in southern Cameroon, seedlings reached a height of hardly 2 metres in 20 months, which was less than 20% of the height of the best performing species (Inga edulis and Pterocarpus santalinoides)[].
Trees coppice well, but rates of regrowth, wood and leaf production have been slow in experiments[].
The leaves show sleep movements at night[].
Leaves fall after the rainy season, and new flushes are red[].
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[]. This species is highly dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizae[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is often used in traditional medicine, being considered astringent and vermifuge[]. A decoction is used to treat dysentery, bronchial affections and pain caused by fever[].
A bark maceration is drunk and applied as a wash to treat jaundice[].
A decoction of the bark is applied externally to treat sores, pimples and other skin complaints[].

A maceration of the leaves is administered as an enema to induce abortion[].
Leaf decoctions are used externally to treat headache, and as a wash or steam inhalation against fever (including malaria) and toothache; they are also applied as a wash to kill head lice[].

The bark from roots and bole contains high amounts of saponins, and the root bark also contains alkaloids[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The leaf litter is slow to decompose and leads to an improvement to the condition of the soil. The tree is being tested for providing shade and mulch in agroforestry[].

Other Uses

The leaves are a source of saponins and are sometimes used for washing clothes[].

The branchlets have been used as firesticks[].

The heartwood is yellowish brown to reddish brown, with a golden or occasionally purplish shine; it is distinctly demarcated from the 3 - 7cm wide layer of pale yellow to pinkish brown sapwood. The grain is interlocked; texture coarse; radial surfaces show a nice figure. The wood is moderately heavy, and does not float in water. It generally saws and works easily with ordinary hand and machine tools, but the force required depends on the density. A small cutting angle is needed to avoid tearing. The use of a filler is recommended to obtain a good finish. The wood holds nails and screws well, but pre-boring is advised to prevent splitting. The gluing, steam-bending and veneering properties are all good. The heartwood is durable and is resistant to fungi and dry-wood borers, and usually also to termites, although wood from Liberia is reportedly liable to termite attack[]. Known under the trade names 'iatandza' (Gabon), 'awiemfosamina' (Ghana) and 'musase' (Liberia). It is used for construction, light and heavy flooring, staircases, furniture, cabinet making, joinery, turnery, implements, carvings, glued laminated timber and veneer. It is also suitable for carpentry, mine props, vehicle bodies, toys and novelties, musical instruments, railway sleepers, boxes and crates[].
The wood is commonly used for charcoal production[].

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. Sow the seed in a sunny position, preferably in situ but they can be growing in a nursery seedbed, Germination of treated seed usually takes 4 - 10 days, with up to 80% sprouting[].
Experiments in Ghana showed that the plant can be successfully propagated vegetatively by root cuttings, without the application of rooting hormone[].

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