Flora Zambesiaca

Taxon Detail

FZ volume:3 part:1 (1970) Leguminosae by J.P.M. Brenan

(Search other Kew databases for: Albizia adianthifolia)

Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach.) W. F. Wight

in U.S. Dept. Agric. Bur. Pl. Industry, Bull. 137: 12 (1909). — Gilbert & Boutique, F.C.B. 3: 178 (1952). — Brenan in Kew Bull. 7: 520 (1953); Mem. N.Y. Bot. Gard. 8: 430 (1954); F.T.E.A. Legum.-Mimos.: 160, fig. 21/6-9, 22/2 (1959). — Torre, C.F.A. 2: 295 (1956). — Codd in Bothalia, 7: 79 (1958). — Fanshawe, Fifty Common Trees N. Rhod.: 16 cum tab. (1962). — F. White, F.F.N.R.: 88, fig. 16 E-F (1962). — Mitchell in Puku, 1: 107 (1963). — Boughey in Journ. S. Afr. Bot. 30: 158 (1964). — Gomes e Sousa, Dendrol. Moçamb. 1: 239, t. 43 (1966). TAB. 24 fig. B. Type probably from Ghana,

Synonyms:

Albizia chirindensis (Swynnerton ex Bak. f.) Swynnerton ex Steedman

Trees etc. S. Rhod.: xv, 16, 180 (1933). — Swynnerton in Journ. of Bot. 74: 317 (1939).

Albizia fastigiata (E. Mey.) Oliv.

F.T.A. 2: 361 (1871). — Sim, For. Fl. Port. E. Afr.: 59, t. 58 (1909). — R.E.Fr. in Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.-Kongo Exped. 1: 63 (1914). Types as for Zygia fastigiata.

Albizia fastigiata var. chirindensis Swynnerton ex Bak. f.

in Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. 40: 65 (1911). — Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 361 (1916). Type: Rhodesia, Chirinda Forest, Swynnerton 52 (BM, holotype; K; SRGH).

Albizia sassa

sensu Bak. f., Legum. Trop. Afr. 3: 868 (1930) pro parte excl. syn. Sassa et Mimosa sassa.

Mimosa adianthifolia Schumach.

Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 322 (1827). Type as above.

Zygia fastigiata E. Mey.

Comment. Pl. Afr. 165 (1836). Syntypes from S. Africa.

Distribution:

Malawi

C: Dowa, fl. & fr. 28.x.1941, Greenway 6369 (K; PRE).

N: Nkata Bay Distr., Mkuwadzi Hill, fl. 13.xi.1959, Adlard 313 (SRGH).

S: Cholo Mt., fl. & fr. 29.ix.1946, Brass 17859 (BM; K; PRE; SRGH).

Mozambique

GI: Massinga, fl. ix.1937, Gomes e Sousa 2039 (COI; K).

M: Lourenço Marques, Costa do Sol, fl. & fr. 10.viii.1959, Barbosa & Lemos in Barbosa 8677 (COI; K; PRE; SRGH).

MS: Cheringoma, Inhaminga, fr. 27.v.1948, Mendonça 4392 (BM; K; LISC).

N: between Mueda and Nangade, fl. 19.x.1942, Mendonça 955 (BM; K; LISC).

Z: between Quelimane and Gúruè, fl. 13.ix.1941, Torre 3437 (BM; K; LISC).

Zambia

N: Kasama Distr., Mungwi, fl. 5.x.1960, Robinson 3897 (K; SRGH).

S: S. of Namwala road c. 10 km. from Nambala Mission, fl. & fr. 17.ix.1947, Brenan & Greenway 7870 (K).

W: Ndola, fl. ix.1933, Duff 162/33 (K).

Zimbabwe

E: Inyanga Distr., Eastern Highlands Tea Estate, E. of Inyangani, fl. 17.x.1962, Chase 7857 (K; LISC; SRGH).

S: Zimbabwe, fl. & fr. 4.x.1959, Wild 2991 (K).

Range:

Widespread in tropical Africa from Gambia and Kenya southwards to Angola and extending to South Africa (East Cape Province)

Habitat:

In rain-forest, woodland and wooded grassland near sea-level–1680 m.

Description:

Tree (2·5)4-30 m. high; crown flattened; bark grey to yellowish-brown and rough (rarely smooth in our area); young branchlets densely rather coarsely and persistently rusty- to fulvous-pubescent; pubescence sometimes becoming grey as the branchlet ages. Leaves: pinnae 5-8 pairs (rarely only 3 on occasional reduced leaves), each pinna ± narrowing upwards; leaflets of 2 distal pairs of pinnae (8)9-17 pairs, mostly c. 7-17(24) x 4-9(15) mm., obliquely rhombic-quadrate or -oblong; proximal margin at base usually ± rounded into the pulvinus but not auriculate; apex of leaflet usually obtuse and mucronate, sometimes subacute, surface of leaflet thinly pubescent above, rather plentifully pubescent all over beneath, raised venation beneath close. Stipules and bracts at base of peduncles c. 5-12 x 3-6(8) mm., ovate. Peduncles clothed as the young branchlets; bracteoles variably persistent, 5-8 mm. long, exceeding the flower-buds, linear-spathulate to oblanceolate. Flowers subsessile; pedicels pubescent, 0·5-1(2) mm. long. Calyx 2·5-5 (rarely only 2) mm. long, pubescent outside. Corolla 6-11 mm. long, white or greenish-white, pubescent outside. Staminal tube exserted c. 1·3-2.5 cm. beyond the corolla, red to wholly greenish or pink. Pod dehiscent. 9-19 x 1·9-3·4(4·3) cm., usually pale brown, oblong, flat or slightly transversely plicate, ± densely and persistently pubescent, not glossy, prominently venose. Seeds 7-9·5 x 6·5-8·5 mm., flattened.

Notes:

Further details of the synonymy will be found in Kew Bull. 7: 520-1 (1953). A. adianthifolia has a wide range of habitat, and ecotypes may be recognizable. It is not, however, a particularly variable plant. The colour of the staminal tube varies (see description) and also the surface of the bark. Although smooth-barked examqles have been recorded from Rhodesia and Mozambique, it is likely that rough bark is more usual in our area. It would be interesting to have information about the ecology and distribution of these two bark-variants.