Samaan Tree

''Samanea saman'', also sometimes known as the rain tree, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, now in the Mimosoid clade and is native to Central and South America. Its range extends from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil, but it has been widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Common names include ''saman'', ''rain tree'' and ''monkeypod'' (see also below). It is often placed in the genus '' Samanea'', which by yet other authors is subsumed in ''Albizia'' entirely.

Description

Saman is a wide-canopied tree with a large symmetrical umbrella-shaped crown. It usually reaches a height of and a diameter of . The leaves fold in rainy weather and in the evening, hence the names ''rain tree'' and ''five o'clock tree'' ("Pukul Lima" in Malay). The tree has pinkish flowers with white and red stamens, set on heads with around 12–25 flowers per head. These heads may number in the thousands, covering the whole tree. The seed pods of the tree contain sticky, edible flesh.

During his 1799–1804 travels in the Americas, Alexander von Humboldt encountered a giant saman tree near Maracay, Venezuela. He measured the circumference of the parasol-shaped crown at 576 ft (about 180.8 m),Presuming von Humboldt used the Magdeburg foot of 1755, introduced in Prussia in 1793, which was (31.385 cm). its diameter was around 190 ft (about 59.6 m), on a trunk at 9 ft (about 2.8 m) in diameter and reaching just 60 ft (nearly 19 m) in height. Humboldt mentioned the tree was reported to have changed little since the Spanish colonization of Venezuela; he estimated it to be as old as the famous Canary Islands dragon tree (''Dracaena draco'') of Icod de los Vinos on Tenerife.

The tree, called ''Samán de Güere'' ( transcribed ''Zamang del Guayre'' by von Humboldt) still stands today, and is a Venezuelan national treasure. Just like the dragon tree on Tenerife, the age of the saman in Venezuela is rather indeterminate. As von Humboldt's report makes clear, according to local tradition, it would be older than 500 years today, which is rather outstanding by the genus' standards. It is certain, however, the tree is quite more than 200 years old today, but it is one exceptional individual; even the well-learned von Humboldt could not believe it was actually the same species as the saman trees he knew from the greenhouses at Schönbrunn Castle.von Humboldt & Bonpland (1820): p.99 footnote A famous specimen called the "Brahmaputra Rain Tree" located at Guwahati on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India has the thickest trunk of any Saman; approximately diameter at breast height (DBH). The size of the pollen is around 119 microns and it is polyad of 24 to 32 grains.

Large branches of the tree tend to break off, particularly during rainstorms. This can be hazardous as the tree is very commonly used for avenue plantation.

Names

''Samanea saman'' is a well-known tree, rivaled perhaps only by lebbeck and pink siris among its genus. It is well represented in many languages and has numerous local names in its native range.

In English it is usually known as rain tree or saman. It is also known as monkey pod, giant thibet, inga saman,It is a rather close relative to the ingas. cow tamarind,Among the legumes, it is not very closely related to tamarinds. East Indian walnut,It is not at all closely related to walnuts. soar, or suar. In English-speaking regions of the Caribbean, it is known as coco tamarind in Grenada; French tamarind in Guyana; and samaan tree in Trinidad. In Philippine English, it is confusingly simply known as "acacia", due to its resemblance to native ''Acacia'' species.

The original name, saman - known in many languages and used for the specific epithet - derives from ''zamang'', meaning " Mimosoideae tree" in some Cariban languages of northern Venezuela.

The origin of the name "rain tree" is unknown. It has been variously attributed to the way the leaves fold during rainy days (allowing rain to fall through the tree); the relative abundance of grass under the tree in comparison to surrounding areas; the steady drizzle of honeydew-like discharge of cicadas feeding on the leaves; the occasional shower of sugary secretions from the nectaries on the leaf petioles; to the shedding of stamens during heavy flowering.

In the Caribbean, it is sometimes known as ''marsave''. It is also known as ''algarrobo'' in Cuba; ''guannegoul(e)'' in Haiti; and ''goango'' or ''guango'' in Jamaica. In French-speaking islands, it is known as ''gouannegoul'' or ''saman''.

In Latin America, it is variously known as ''samán'', ''cenízaro'', ''cenicero'', ''genízaro'', ''carreto'', ''carreto negro'', ''delmonte'', ''dormilón'', ''guannegoul'', ''algarrobo del país'', ''algarrobo'', ''campano'', ''carabeli'', ''couji'', ''lara'', ''urero'', or ''zarza'' in Spanish; and ''chorona'' in Portuguese.

In the Pacific Islands, it is known as ''filinganga'' in the Northern Marianas; ''trongkon-mames'' in Guam; ''gumorni spanis'' in Yap; ''kasia kula'' or ''mohemohe'' in Tonga; ''marmar'' in New Guinea; ''ohai'' in Hawaii; ''tamalini'' or ''tamaligi'' in Samoa; and ''vaivai ni vavalangi'' or ''sirsa'' in Fiji. The latter comes from ''vaivai'' "watery" (in allusion to the tree's "rain") + ''vavalagi'' "foreign". In some parts of Vanua Levu, Fiji the word ''vaivai'' is used to describe the lebbeck, because of the sound the seedpods make, and the word ''mocemoce'' (sleepy, or sleeping) is used for ''A. saman'' due to the 'sleepiness' of its leaves.

In Southeast Asia, it is known as ''akasya'' or ''palo de China'' in the Philippines; ''ki hujan'' ("rain tree"), ''meh'' or ''trembesi'' in Indonesia; ''pukul lima'' ("five o'clock tree") or ''pokok hujan'' ("rain tree") in Malaysia; ''ampil barang'' ("Western tamarind") in Cambodia; ก้ามปู (''kampu''), ฉำฉา (''chamcha''), จามจุรีแดง (''chamchuri daeng''), จามจุรี (''chamchuri'') in Thai; ကုက္ကို (''kokko'') in Myanmar; and ''còng'', ''muồng tím'', or ''cây mưa'' ("rain tree") in Vietnam.

In South Asia, it is known as ''shiriisha'' in Sanskrit; শিরীষ (''shirish'') in Bengali; ''shirish'' in Gujarati; सीरस (''vilaiti siris'') in Hindi; ''bagaya mara'' in Kannada; ചക്കരക്കായ്‌ മരം (''chakkarakkay maram'') in Malayalam; विलायती शिरीश in Marathi; ''mara'' in Sinhalese; தூங்குமூஞ்சி மரம் (''thoongu moonji maram'', "sleepy faced tree") in Tamil; and నిద్ర గన్నేరు (''nidra ganneru'') in Telugu.

In Madagascar, it is also known as ''bonara (mbaza), kily vazaha, madiromany, mampihe'', or ''mampohehy''.

In European regions where the tree does not usually grow, its names are usually direct translations of "rain tree". These include ''arbre à (la) pluie'' ( France), ''árbol de lluvia'' ( Spain); and ''Regenbaum'' ( Germany).

In Cambodia

Since its introduction to Cambodia, the ''Samanea saman'' is known locally as ''chankiri'' (ចន្ទគិរី). It has been widely planted across the country thanks to its tall height and expansive branches that can shade large areas, and as an ornamental. The fruit is eaten, and in famine times the young leaves are eaten in salads.

Multiple ''chankiri'' can also be found in the Killing Fields, an execution field used by the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian genocide, though the trees were planted at the field long before. Children and infants were smashed against trees because their parents were accused of crimes against the regime. It was so the children "wouldn't grow up and take revenge for their parents' deaths".

In popular culture

During the production of the 1960 film ''Swiss Family Robinson'', a ''Samanea saman'' tree in Tobago, said to be tall, was used for the construction of the family's famous tree house. The set was left intact after filming but was destroyed by Hurricane Flora in 1963. The tree itself has survived and is located approximately near Goldsborough, Tobago. The figure for the tree's height comes from the motion picture company and has not been independently confirmed.

Carbon sequestration

Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to a research conducted at the School of Forestry of the Bogor Agricultural Institute, Indonesia, a mature tree with a crown diameter measuring absorbed of CO₂ annually. The trees have been planted in cities of Kudus and Demak and also will be planted along the shoulder of the road from Semarang to Losari.

Gallery

File:Albizia saman trunk leaning over the water on a Mekong bank in sunshine at golden hour (2).jpg, Si Phan Don, Laos, alt=Trunk leaning over the water in Si Phan Don, Laos
File:Samanea saman roots (rain tree) specimen fallen into the Mekong at golden hour in Si Phan Don Laos.jpg, Roots fallen into the water of the Mekong in Don Det, alt=Roots fallen into the water of the Mekong in Don Det
File:During falling leaf period Samanea saman.jpg, Falling leaves in Kolkata, West Bengal, alt=A tree with falling leaves in Kolkata, West Bengal
File:Samanea saman Sukabumi.jpg, Sukabumi, West Java, alt=Tree at roadside in Sukabumi, West Java
File:Albizia saman 6437.jpg, alt=Detail of the leaves
File:Albizia saman 0155.JPG, Flower
File:AlbiziaSaman.jpg, Leaves, flowers, dried pods, seeds
File:Pods I IMG 3110.jpg, Pods
File:Bark of Albizia saman.jpg, Mature bark
File:Bark- Black-rumped Flameback I IMG 9087.jpg, Black-rumped flameback (''Dinopium benghalense''), alt= Black-rumped flameback (''Dinopium benghalense'') on a limb
File:MONKEY POT.jpg, alt=Slab of wood

Notes

Footnotes

References

* (2004)
The Golden Rain Tree
Version of 2004-MAY-01. Retrieved 2008-MAR-31.
* (2005)
''Albizia saman''
Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2008-MAR-30.
* (1815): ''Reise in die Aequinoctial-Gegenden des neuen Continents'' (Part 3). J.G. Cotta, Stuttgart and Tübingen
Image/PDF fulltext
at Google Books

External links

*
*

Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project page for ''Samanea saman''

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Mimosoids
Taxa named by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin
Trees of Brazil
Trees of Central America
Trees of Peru