Albizia ferruginea

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In view of the fact that some tree species are invasive, the world Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) has put in place a policy document on Invasive Alien Species, currently under draft available at Here.

For more information on this subject, please refer to
100 of the World's worst Invasive and Alien Species.




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Abelmoschus moschatus
Acacia aneura
Acacia angustissima
Acacia aulacocarpa
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia catechu
Acacia cincinnata
Acacia crassicarpa
Acacia elatior
Acacia erioloba
Acacia etbaica
Acacia ferruginea
Acacia glauca
Acacia holosericea
Acacia karroo*
Acacia koa
Acacia laeta
Acacia lahai
Acacia leptocarpa
Acacia leucophloea
Acacia mangium
Acacia mearnsii*
Acacia melanoxylon
Acacia mellifera
Acacia nilotica subsp nilotica
Acacia pachycarpa
Acacia pennatula
Acacia polyacantha ssp. polyacantha
Acacia saligna
Acacia senegal
Acacia seyal
Acacia sieberiana
Acacia tortilis
Acacia xanthophloea
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius
Adansonia digitata
Adenanthera pavonina
Aegle marmelos
Afzelia africana
Afzelia quanzensis
Agathis macrophylla
Agathis philippinensis
Ailanthus altissima
Ailanthus excelsa
Ailanthus triphysa
Albizia adianthifolia
Albizia amara
Albizia anthelmintica
Albizia chinensis
Albizia coriaria
Albizia ferruginea
Albizia gummifera
Albizia julibrissin
Albizia lebbeck
Albizia odoratissima
Albizia procera
Albizia saman
Albizia versicolor
Albizia zygia
Aleurites moluccana
Allanblackia floribunda
Allanblackia stuhlmannii
Allanblackia ulugurensis
Alnus acuminata
Alnus cordata
Alnus japonica
Alnus nepalensis
Alnus rubra
Alphitonia zizyphoides
Alstonia boonei
Alstonia congensis
Alstonia scholaris
Altingia excelsa
Anacardium occidentale
Andira inermis
Annona cherimola
Annona muricata
Annona reticulata
Annona senegalensis
Annona squamosa
Anogeissus latifolia
Anthocephalus cadamba
Antiaris toxicaria
Antidesma bunius
Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria cunninghamii
Arbutus unedo
Areca catechu
Arenga pinnata
Argania spinosa
Artemisia annua
Artocarpus altilis
Artocarpus camansi
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Artocarpus integer
Artocarpus lakoocha
Artocarpus mariannensis
Asimina triloba
Ateleia herbert-smithii
Aucomea klaineana
Averrhoa bilimbi
Averrhoa carambola
Azadirachta excelsa
Azadirachta indica
Azanza garckeana

Local names:
Mandinka (sana tenyo), Wolof (samba tene)

Albizia ferruginea is a tree, 6-40 m high with a beautiful spreading crown. Bole nearly straight; bark rough, thick, peeling off in older trees. Young branchlets densely rusty, pubescent or sometimes subtomentose. Slash light brown with reddish patches.

Leaves bipinnate, consisting of 3-5 pinnae oppositely arranged, terminal pinnae; terminal pinnae pairs on the leaf stalk have 15-16 leaflets, which can grow up to 2cm long and 0.8 cm wide. Leaflets oblong, tip and base round; smooth on top and hairy underneath. Leaf indumentum red. 

Flowers greenish-cream in tight clusters, calyx 3-6 mm long covered with rusty hairs. Stamen numerous, filaments up to 5 cm, staminal tube not or scarcely exserted beyond corolla.

Fruit a pod, 15-20 cm long and 4 cm wide, reddish-brown glossy and veined; containing 9-12 flattened seeds, seed 7-10 mm long and 4.5-8 mm wide.

The genus was named after Filippo del Albizzi, a Florentine nobleman who in 1749 introduced A. julibrissin into cultivation. The specific epithet refers to the colour of the pods.

Ecology

A. ferruginea is a forest emergent commonly found in woodland, lowland rainforest and scrub vegetation.

Native range
Angola, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda

Seed storage behaviour orthodox.

A. ferruginea is a forest emergent commonly found in woodland, lowland rainforest and scrub vegetation.

Direct seeding is preferred in propagating this species.

Poison:  The bark is reportedly poisonous.

Forage legume eaten by goats, reports from Nigeria lists it highest in a sample of 44 species in protein content and crude fibre.

Apiculture:  The tree provides nectar for bees.

Branches are used as firesticks.

Timber:  A. ferruginea wood is medium-heavy 600-700 kg/cu. m when air seasoned; reasonably hard and durable. The heartwood is moderately resistant to termites. The wood saws easily and is used for interior construction, building of vehicle bodies, veneer production, furniture and wood carvings. It is advisable to treat surfaces with a grain filler before polishing. Wood also suitable for wooden houses.

Shade or shelter:  A. ferruginea is a shade tree.

Medicine:  In Ghana, plant parts are used to elicit purgation and treat dysentery. The bark decoction is used as a wash for wounds and sores.

Nitrogen fixing: Forms vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza; highest mycorrhizal inoculation effect was observed at soil P concentration of 0.02 mg/litre. Based on these data, both Albizia and Enterolobium were classified as highly mycorrhizal dependent species. Nodulation is reported in A. ferruginea, Rhizobium-type root nodules are found on the roots.

Ornamental: A. ferruginea is a beautiful tree suitable for planting along avenues and in parks.

Soil improver:  The tree’s leaf litter improves the quality of surrounding soil.