Albizia zygia is closely related to Albizia gummifera and Albizia glaberrima, and is often confused with them. Hybrids between this species and A. Gummifera have been recorded[].

Common Name:

General Information

Albizia zygia is a fast-growing, medium-sized deciduous tree with a spreading crown and a graceful architectural form[]. It can range in height from 9 up to 30 metres and, when growing in the forest, can produce a clean bole up to 15 metres tall[]
A multipurpose tree, it is used locally in traditional medicine, and is also sometimes used for food and other commodities[]. Planted as an ornamental shade tree, roadside tree and fire break, it also has some importance on the international timber market, although it is considered a lesser-used species[].

Known Hazards

The wood dust is aromatic and peppery. It may cause irritation to the nose and throat of sawmill workers[, ].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Kenya, south to northern Angola and Tanzania.

Habitat

Lowland semi-deciduous and evergreen forest; secondary forest; forested savannah up to elevations of 1,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland moister tropics, succeeding at elevations from sea level up to 1,400 metres[]. It grows in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the region of 26°c and the mean annual rainfall is around 2,732 mm[].
Prefers well drained loamy or clayey soils and a position in full sun[]. It has been found to be tolerant to soil acidity and shows some resistance to drought[, ].
Seedlings develop quickly, and can reach 3 metres tall after 2 years[, ]. Trees are capable of growing rapidly and have reached a bole diameter of 80 cm in secondary forest of 40 years old[]. In a plantation in northern Cote d'Ivoire, 5.5-year-old trees were on average 3.7 metres tall, with a stem diameter of 7 cm. Trees on old termite mounds were over 6 metres tall with a stem diameter over 10 cm[].
Planted trees can be managed by coppicing and pollarding[].
Natural regeneration depends on the presence of medium-sized to large canopy gaps in the forest. Consequently, seedlings and saplings are more abundant in forest with logging damage than in undisturbed forest[].
The flowers produce nectar which is collected by bees[, ].
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[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves are eaten cooked as a vegetable or added to soups and sauces[].

The gum from the bark is used in the food industry as a stabilizer in the preparation of foods such as ice cream[].

Medicinal

In traditional medicine the bark is seen as antidote, aphrodisiac, purgative, stomachic and vermifuge[]. A decoction is used to treat bronchial diseases, fever (including malaria) and female sterility[].
The pounded or rasped bark is applied externally to treat yaws, sores, wounds and toothache[]. The sap of the bark is instilled in the eyes to treat ophthalmia[].

The ground roots are used as an expectorant and are added to food to treat coughs[].

Leaf decoctions are used to treat fever and diarrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is valued for providing shade in plantations of crops such as cocoa and coffee[]. It is also used as a support for yam plants[]. It provides leaf litter which acts as a mulch and improves the pH in acidic soils - this, coupled with its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, makes it a useful species for soil improvement[, ]. It has a high potential for ameliorating degraded cocoa soils[]. With a fairly deep rooting system, it has great potential to protect vulnerable soils from erosion[].

Other Uses

A resin called 'nongo gum' is obtained from the stem[].
The gum from the bark is used in the food industry (e.g. As a stabilizer in the preparation of ice cream), cosmetic industry (e.g. As a thickener) and pharmaceutical industry (e.g. As a drug coating)[].
The gum has good potential for use as compression coating for drugs targeting the colon, being capable of protecting the core tablet in the physiological environment of the stomach and small intestine, but susceptible to degradation by the colonic bacterial enzymes leading to release of the drug. The gum is also promising as binding agent in tablet formulations, especially when high mechanical strength and slower release rates are desired[].

The bark contains tannins[]

The dark brown wood is durable and very hard[]. It is made into pestles, tool handles, planks, used for doors, beams and general building purposes[, ].It is also suitable for joinery, interior trim, ship and boat building, vehicle bodies, toys and novelties, turnery, boxes, crates, matches, hardboard and particle board[]. The wood pulp is suitable for paper production[].
The wood is commonly used as firewood and for charcoal production[].

Propagation

Seed - the germination rate of seeds soaked in water for 24 hours was 8 - 30% in 35 days; it was much better after treatment with sulphuric acid or mechanical scarification[]. Pre-treatment of the seeds with 98% sulphuric acid for 5 minutes followed by thorough rinsing in water improved germination by up to 85%, and mechanical scarification followed by soaking for 6 hours in water gave a germination rate of up to 95% in 8 days[].
Seeds for planting should be collected from the trees before the pods dehisce. Seeds can be stored for some time in a sealed container in a cool place, after adding ash to reduce insect damage[].
Can be successfully propagated vegetatively by root cuttings[].

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