''Albizia adianthifolia'' is a tree in the family
. It is commonly known as the flat-crown. Its range extends from eastern
South Africa to
Tropical Africa.
Description
This is a large deciduous tree with a spreading, flat crown, growing to a height of . A profusion of bright green leaves and heavily scented, fluffy flowers are produced in winter or spring. The leaves are twice compound with the leaflets being 2–5 x 8 mm in size. This tree favours sandy soils in warm, high rainfall areas. In South Africa it is found in
coastal lowland forests.
Cultivation
''Albizia adianthifolia'' is cultivated as an
ornamental tree
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
. The attractive habit of these trees makes them a popular garden tree, often being retained as a
native plant in suburban gardens when other
indigenous vegetation is removed. The trees usually produce abundant seeds which are easily grown in sandy soil.
Ecological significance
Elephants browse the leaves of these trees and
blue duiker
The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspecies are ident ...
favour the leaves and seedpods as food. The larvae of the satyr charaxes butterfly (''
Charaxes ethalion'') feed on the leaves of these trees.
[Williams, M. (1994). ''Butterflies of Southern Africa: A Field Guide''. .]
See also
*
Southern African Sand Forest
Southern African Sand Forest is a sand forest, or a subtropical forest plant community of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome. It grows on ancient sand dunes in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique. In South Africa ...
Gallery
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_stem.JPG, Trunk of ''Albizia adianthifolia''
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_canopy.JPG, Branches and canopy
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_new_foliage_14_06_2010.JPG, New foliage and flowers
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_green_pod.JPG, Foliage and a green pod
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_pods_14_06_2010.JPG, Mature pods and leaves
Image:Albizia_adianthifolia_open_pod_14_06_2010.JPG, An open pod with seeds
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2720950
adianthifolia
Trees of Africa
Garden plants of Africa
Ornamental trees