The genus Albizia comprises approximately 150 species, mostly trees and shrubs native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa (Parrotta, 2002). The genus is placed within the subfamily Mimosoideae, which comprises 82 genera and about 3335 species of shrubs and trees (rarely herbs) in which nitrogen fixing is common (Stevens, 2012).
The genus Albizia was named after Filippo del Albizzi, a Florentine nobleman who in 1749 introduced A. julibrissin into cultivation. The species A. lebbeck (L.) Benth. was described in Hooker’s London J. of Botany 3: 87 (1844). The species name is from ‘laebach’, the Arabic name for this plant. The species has sometimes been spelt in the literature as ‘lebbek‘. Related species are A. canescens and A. procera. The use of `albizia’ as a common name for this species is to be avoided, as it is often applied to Falcataria moluccana, which is very different from A. lebbeck.
Plant Type
Perennial
Broadleaved
Seed propagated
Tree
Vegetatively propagated
Woody
Overview
Importance
- lebbeckis a medium to fast-growing, drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing tree, widely introduced and now found throughout the tropics. It is adapted to a variety of climates from semi-arid to humid regions, and can tolerate saline, alkaline and marginal soils. It is a valuable and versatile tree producing small timber, fuel and fodder, and commonly used as an ornamental and shelter tree. While commonly grown in plantations, it is also promoted as an agroforestry species, especially in dryland silvopastoral systems.
Summary of Invasiveness
Albizia lebbeck is a perennial, deciduous tree, native to Asia and introduced to tropical regions across the world as a shelter tree for cash crops, for erosion control, as a forage crop and as a source of hardwood. The species can tolerate a wide range of climates and soil types. It reproduces by seed or vegetatively by cuttings or coppicing. It has a range of invasive traits, which include high seed production, a high growth rate and nitrogen fixation, that allow it to invade disturbed areas and natural forests.
It is naturalized in many parts of the tropics including the Caribbean, Central America and South America; in some places it has also become invasive. For example, in Puerto Rico, it appears on a government invasive species list and is a category 2 invasive species in the Bahamas. The species is reportedly one of the 100 most serious invasive species, and a transformer species, in Cuba. In Florida, the species has been listed as a category 1 invasive species (most serious concern) since 1999.
It is also invasive in parts of Africa. In South Africa, A. lebbeck invades coastal bush and riverbanks, displacing native plants, and is a category 1 weed under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983. It is cultivated on Pacific Islands and sometimes naturalized and invasive along roadsides and in forest patches. For example, on Chuuk Island in the Federated States of Micronesia it is classed as invasive or potentially invasive and is monitored for spread, potentially requiring control.
Although it is native to Australia, it is spreading southward and becoming more common in southeast Queensland where it is now regarded as an environmental weed by some local authorities. It is also regarded as an environmental weed in some parts of north and northwest Western Australia.
Description
- lebbeckis a deciduous tree that can grow to 30 m in height with a stem diameter of 1 m, but more commonly it is 15-20 m tall and 50 cm in diameter at maturity, with grey fissured corky bark, somewhat flaky; inner bark reddish. It is multi-stemmed when grown in the open but capable of producing a single straight stem when grown in plantations (Lowry et al., 1994). It is described and illustrated by Verdcourt (1979), Brock (1988), Lowry et al. (1994), Doran and Turnbull (1997)and in many other texts. The compound leaves are bipinnate, glabrous or slightly hairy on the axis, pinnae in 2-4 pairs, each with 2-11 pairs of obliquely oblong to elliptic-oblong leaflets, 15-65 x 5-35 mm, shortly stalked, initially bright green and maturing to a duller glaucous green and folding at night (Nielsen, 1985; Lowry et al., 1994). It is fully deciduous but for only a brief period (4-6 weeks) in the dry season (Lowry et al., 1994). The glabrous glands are raised, elliptic to circular, on the upper side of the stalk, close to the base and between most pairs of leaflets (Hyland and Whiffin, 1993). The inflorescence consists of large clusters 5-7.5 cm wide of fragrant pedunculate globular flower heads, 15-40, on stalks 5-10 cm long. The corolla is 5.5-9 mm long, glabrous, cream, white or green, with numerous pale green stamens on filaments 15-30 mm long. The entire inflorescence is ‘fluffy’ in appearance, 60 mm in diameter, yellow-green with a pleasant fragrance. The pods are pale straw to light brown at maturity, narrow-oblong 12-35 x 3-6 cm, papery-leathery, swollen over the seeds and not constricted between them, indehiscent and borne in large numbers. Seeds are brown, flat, orbicular or elliptic, 8-10 x 6-7 mm, transversely placed with 3-12 in each pod.
General
- lebbeckis a perennial, deciduous tree that can grow to 30 m in height with a stem diameter of 1 m, but more commonly it is 15-20 m tall and 50 cm in diameter at maturity, with grey fissured corky bark, somewhat flaky; inner bark reddish. It is multi-stemmed when grown in the open but capable of producing a single straight stem when grown in plantations (Lowry et al., 1994). It is described and illustrated by Verdcourt (1979), Brock (1988), Lowry et al. (1994), Doran and Turnbull (1997)and in many other texts.
Foliage
The compound leaves are bipinnate, glabrous or slightly hairy on the axis, pinnae in 2-4 pairs, each with 2-11 pairs of obliquely oblong to elliptic-oblong leaflets 15-65 x 5-35 mm, shortly stalked, initially bright green and maturing to a duller glaucous green and folding at night (Nielsen, 1985; Lowry et al., 1994). It is fully deciduous but for only a brief period (4-6 weeks) in the dry season (Lowry et al., 1994). The glabrous glands are raised, elliptic to circular, on the upper side of the stalk close to the base and between most pairs of leaflets (Hyland and Whiffin, 1993).
Inflorescences, flowers and fruits
The inflorescence consists of large clusters 5-7.5 cm wide of fragrant pedunculate globular flower heads, 15-40, on stalks 5-10 cm long. The corolla is 5.5-9 mm long, glabrous, cream, white or green, with numerous pale green stamens on filaments 15-30 mm long. The entire inflorescence is fluffy, 60 mm in diameter, yellow-green with a pleasant fragrance. The pods are pale straw to light brown at maturity, narrow-oblong 12-35 x 3-6 cm, papery-leathery, swollen over the seeds and not constricted between them, indehiscent and borne in large numbers. The seeds are brown, flat, orbicular or elliptic, 8-10 x 6-7 mm, transversely placed with 3-12 in each pod. Strong winds are the main agent of seed dispersal; intact pods can be carried for considerable distances (Lowry et al., 1994).
Phenology
- lebbeckhas a growth pattern strongly dependent on seasonal changes (`t Mannetje and Jones, 1992). A. lebbeckstops growing early in the dry season, loses its leaves in the middle of the dry season some 2 to 3 months later, remains leafless for 1 to 2 months with new growth appearing towards the end of the dry season. Heavy flowering follows shortly afterwards, but seed set is initially poor (`t Mannetje and Jones, 1992). Further growth accompanied by flowering and good seed set occurs into the wet season.
Annual height and stem diameter growth range from 0.5-2.0 m and 1.0-2.5 cm, respectively during the first 2-5 years of growth. Under suitable environmental conditions plants can grow 5 m/year. Trees growing in the dry tropics show a crown diameter expansion of 2-2.2 m/year until mature.
In northern Australia (within its natural distribution), flowering occurs from September to October (Wheeler et al., 1992) and pods mature in May-July at the beginning of the dry season (Brock, 1988). Pods can remain on the tree for 3 to 4 months (`t Mannetje and Jones, 1992). In India, flowering occurs mainly from March to May, and fruits grow to their full size from August to October (Troup and Joshi, 1983). In Sudan, it flowers March-May and fruits May-August. In Tanzania, ripe pods can be found in July-December with a peak in August-October (PROTA, 2016). In Florida and the Caribbean, it flowers from April to September, but primarily in spring (or the onset of the rainy season), with pods held nearly throughout the year (Little and Wadsworth, 1964; Langeland et al., 2009). In China, it has been recorded flowering from May to September and fruiting from October to May of the following year (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2016).
Notes on Pests
Damping off of seedlings in nurseries by Rhizoctonia solani [Thanatephorus cucumeris] has been recorded in India (Mehrotra, 1989) and Sri Lanka (Bandara, 1987) and by Fusarium spp. in India (Harsh, 1993). Occurrence of an unnamed virus disease on nursery plants of A. lebbeck has been reported by Chowdhery et al. (1992). Root rots, cankers, heart rots, spot fungi and rusts (e.g. Ravenelia) can cause damage (Sharma and Bhardwaj, 1988; Gupta, 1993; Lenné and Boa, 1994). Defoliation by Endothella albizae has been recorded in Africa, the Philippines and Pakistan (Gibson, 1975). Leaf blotch and foliar necrosis of A. lebbeck caused by Camptomeris albizae has been reported in tropical Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Dominican Republic and Bangladesh (Browne, 1968; Gibson, 1975). Uromycladium tepperianum and Sphaerophragmium acaciae are found on A. lebbeck, as well as on other hosts including Acacia spp., but their importance has not been determined (Browne, 1968; Gibson, 1975; Bakshi, 1976). The leaf spot, Cercospora glauca was recorded on A. lebbeck in USA, China and Nepal, and C. albizae was recorded on A. lebbeck in India, Sudan and Tanzania (Gibson, 1975; Bakshi, 1976). A common spot disease, Colletotrichum lebbeck has been widely recorded on pods and leaves of A. lebbeck in Pakistan, the Philippines and Jamaica (Gibson, 1975). Young plantations in India may suffer serious defoliation by Phyllosticta albizinae (Bakshi, 1976). A leaf mosaic in Mauritius is believed to be caused by a virus (Seliskar, 1964; Gibson, 1975).
Dieback and canker are caused by Nectria ditissima [Neonectria ditissima] on A. lebbeck in Madagascar (Gibson, 1975). Fusarium solani [Haematonectria haematococca] causes greyish-black cankers and a severe infection will cause drying of the crown in 15-20 year-old trees in India (Bakshi, 1976). The most important disease of A. lebbeck is vascular wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. perniciosum. It is widespread in the USA and reported from Argentina and Puerto Rico (Gibson, 1975).
There is also a wide range of insect pests including sap suckers, wood and seed borers (such as Bruchidius spp.) and defoliators such as psyllids (probably Heteropsylla) (Hegde and Relwani, 1988; Ahmed et al., 1995). Insect predators associated with three species of psyllids infesting A. lebbeck in forest nurseries in India are reported by Thirumurthi and Annamali (1995). In Nigeria, damage has been caused by the striped mealy bug, Ferrisia virgata (Kadiata et al., 1992). Young leaves may be subject to heavy predation by the larvae of the grass yellow butterfly (Eurema hecoba) (Lowry et al., 1994); the effect is short-lived. Bark-feeding larvae of the longicorn beetle cause serious damage when complete girdling of stems 40-100 mm diameter causes dieback (Lowry et al., 1994); little effect is seen in small and large stems. Individual trees exhibit considerable variation and may be more susceptible under water stress.
High seedling mortality may be caused by animal browsing and trampling (Hocking, 1993). In Australia, establishment can be adversely affected by grazing of young plants by mice, rabbits and other wildlife (`t Mannetje and Jones, 1992). Cheetal deer damage to nursery stock has been noted in Dehra Dun, India (Kumar and Thakur, 1993).
List of Pests
Major host of:
Coptotermes (termites); Eurema hecabe (common grass yellow); Ferrisia virgata (striped mealybug); Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. perniciosum; Indarbela dea (bark borer); Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot of bean/tobacco); Phyllosticta albizinae; Rastrococcus iceryoides (mango mealy bug); Ravenelia; Thanatephorus cucumeris (many names, depending on host); Thrips flavus (honeysuckle thrips); Umbonia crassicornis (thorn bug)
Minor host of:
Ceratocystis manginecans; Colletotrichum dematium (leaf spot); Ganoderma lucidum (basal stem rot: Hevea spp.); Haematonectria haematococca (dry rot of potato); Indarbela quadrinotata (bark eating caterpillar); Maconellicoccus hirsutus (pink hibiscus mealybug); Megalurothrips sjostedti (bean flower thrips); Meloidogyne incognita (root-knot nematode); Oxyrachis tarandus; Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Asian ambrosia beetle)
Wild host of:
Aonidiella orientalis (oriental yellow scale); Phenacoccus solenopsis (cotton mealybug); Trirachys holosericeus (apple stem borer)
Associated with (not a host):
Epicoccum nigrum (red blotch of grains)
Host of (source-data mining):
Acaudaleyrodes rachipora (babul whitefly); Alternaria alternata (alternaria leaf spot); Cephaleuros virescens (algal spot of coffee); Crypticerya multicicatrices (multicicatrices fluted scale); Cuscuta reflexa (dodder); Diaprepes abbreviatus (citrus weevil); Ditylenchus; Fusarium oxysporum (basal rot); Kerria lacca (lac insect); Longidorus (longidorids); Meloidogyne (root knot nematodes); mycoplasma-like organisms; Nipaecoccus viridis (spherical mealybug); Phellinus noxius (brown tea root disease); Phytoplasma aurantifolia (lime witches’ broom phytoplasma); Pleiochaeta setosa (lupin leaf spot); Pratylenchus (root lesion nematode); Trichodorus (stubby root nematodes)
Pests Recorded
Acaudaleyrodes rachipora (babul whitefly)
Alternaria alternata (alternaria leaf spot)
Aonidiella orientalis (oriental yellow scale)
Cephaleuros virescens (algal spot of coffee)
Colletotrichum dematium (leaf spot)
Crypticerya multicicatrices (multicicatrices fluted scale)
Diaprepes abbreviatus (citrus weevil)
Epicoccum nigrum (red blotch of grains)
Eurema hecabe (common grass yellow)
Ferrisia virgata (striped mealybug)
Fusarium oxysporum (basal rot)
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. perniciosum
Ganoderma lucidum (basal stem rot: Hevea spp.)
Haematonectria haematococca (dry rot of potato)
Indarbela quadrinotata (bark eating caterpillar)
Maconellicoccus hirsutus (pink hibiscus mealybug)
Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot of bean/tobacco)
Megalurothrips sjostedti (bean flower thrips)
Meloidogyne (root knot nematodes)
Meloidogyne incognita (root-knot nematode)
Nipaecoccus viridis (spherical mealybug)
Phellinus noxius (brown tea root disease)
Phenacoccus solenopsis (cotton mealybug)
Phytoplasma aurantifolia (lime witches’ broom phytoplasma)
Pleiochaeta setosa (lupin leaf spot)
Pratylenchus (root lesion nematode)
Rastrococcus iceryoides (mango mealy bug)
Thanatephorus cucumeris (many names, depending on host)
Thrips flavus (honeysuckle thrips)
Trichodorus (stubby root nematodes)
Trirachys holosericeus (apple stem borer)
Umbonia crassicornis (thorn bug)
Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Asian ambrosia beetle)
Distribution
The native distribution range of A. lebbeck is obscure due to its extensive cultivation. This species is probably indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and to those areas of South East Asia with a marked dry season, such as northeastern Thailand, parts of Malaysia and in the eastern islands of Indonesia (Little, 1983; `t Mannetje and Jones, 1992; Lowry et al., 1994). There are also natural populations in Australia occurring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the extreme north of the Northern Territory and far northern Queensland (i.e. the Cook pastoral district) (Doran and Turnbull, 1997; Weeds of Australia, 2016). In India it occurs throughout most regions, except in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim (India Biodiversity Portal, 2016).
Naturalized populations of A. lebbeck can be found in Africa, tropical South America, southern USA (California, Florida and Texas), the Caribbean and on some islands in the Indian and Pacific Ocean (Orwa et al., 2009; Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012; ILDIS, 2016; PIER, 2016; PROTA, 2016; USDA-ARS, 2016).
Review of Natural Distribution
The native distribution range of A. lebbeck is obscure due to its extensive cultivation. This species is probably indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and to those areas of South East Asia with a marked dry season, such as northeastern Thailand, parts of Malaysia and in the eastern islands of Indonesia (Little, 1983; `t Mannetje and Jones, 1992; Lowry et al., 1994). There are also natural populations in Australia occurring in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the extreme north of the Northern Territory and far northern Queensland (i.e. the Cook pastoral district) (Doran and Turnbull, 1997; Weeds of Australia, 2016). In India it occurs throughout most regions, except in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim (India Biodiversity Portal, 2016).
In Australia, A. lebbeck is a dominant species in semi-evergreen vine forests (monsoon forest) in areas with a mean annual rainfall of 1300-1500 mm and a very dry winter (Beadle, 1981). Associated dominants include Adansonia gregorii, Alphitonia excelsa. In semi-deciduous microphyll vine thicket on scree slopes of quartz sandstone mountains, associate species include Paramygnia trimera, Celtis philippensis and Pouteria sericea (Miles et al., 1975). On lateritic plateaux, A. lebbeck grows with Hakea arborescens and Grevillea mimosoides in the shrub layer beneath low woodland and low open-forest. Dominant species are Eucalyptus tetrodonta, E. nesophila [Corymbia nesophila], Ficus ssp. and Canarium australianum.
In India it is found in tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests in areas with a mean rainfall of 600 to 2500 mm (Troup and Joshi, 1983).
Location of Introductions
- lebbeckhas a pantropical distribution. It has been widely cultivated about the seasonally-dry tropics (e.g. in Africa, Asia and South America) mainly as a shade tree and has occasionally naturalized (Lowry et al., 1994). The boundaries between indigenous populations and those established from exotic germplasm have become blurred. In northern Australia, for example, seed imported from Asia has been widely used and differentiating between native and exotic forms has become increasingly difficult (Hyland and Whiffin, 1993).
The tree may have been introduced to Egypt from the East Indies by 1807, with later introductions to other parts of Africa (Morton, 1983). When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, A. lebbeck trees were planted on a 5-mile avenue from the Nile to the Great Pyramids; the famous botanist Dr. David Fairchild, who admired the trees, sent seeds to the US Department of Agriculture in Washington DC and the species was subsequently adopted as a street tree in places such as southern Florida (Morton, 1983). By 1933, it was recognized as invading tropical hammocks in the Florida Keys. By 1990, the species was reported as a fast-growing colonizer of disturbed areas in Florida (Nelson, 1994; Langeland and Craddock Burks, 1998; Langeland et al., 2009), and since 1999 it has been listed as a Category I invasive species in Florida (FLEPPC, 2015). In the US state of Tennessee the species was apparently previously included on the state’s invasive exotic pest plant list in 1999 (Randall, 2012) but it has since been removed and is not on the most recent list (TN-EPPC, 2009).
It was introduced into the British Caribbean islands in 1782 (Howard, 1954) and it appears in herbarium collections made in 1869 in Martinique, 1871 in Dominican Republic, in 1876 in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and 1800 in Haiti (Urban, 1898; Rojas-Sandoval and Acevedo Rodríguez, 2015; US National Herbarium). This species was introduced to Brazil by 1934 where it has escaped from cultivation and it is now known to grow spontaneously there (Missouri Botanical Garden, 2016).
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