Flat-crown, Rough-bark flat-crown
Albizia adianthifolia

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A very large tree. It grows to 40 m high. It is often smaller. It has a flat crown. The bark is grey to yellow-brown. The leaves are compound. They have 4-7 pairs of leaf stalks and each one has 6-12 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets have a rectangular shape. They are 2 cm long by 0.5-0.8 cm wide. They are dark green with yellow hairs below. The flowers are half round heads. There are few flowers in a head so it is lax. The fruit is a brown flattened pod. These are 12.5 cm long.

There are 145-150 Albizia species. They grow in the tropics and subtropics. Also as Mimosaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It occurs naturally in tropical Africa. It grows on the edges of forests and in ravines. It grows in woodland savannah and palm groves. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Australia, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are used for making a sauce. The leaves are cut and cooked than eaten. They are also used to make a relish.

Edible parts

Leaves, vegetable, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. Seeds are hard to collect as the pod splits open when ripe and scatters the seeds. Self sown seedlings can be collected and re-planted.

The tree is long lived.

Its other names

Local names

Alfarroba, Bianque, Caroubier, Catchena, Cobaga-e, Conecam, Empantanca, Faroba-de-lala, Inhlangushane, Inhlangutjane, Ligowane, Marnei, Masamp-thai, Mepupe, Muanze, Mulu, Nadji, Netemhae, Neto-faro, Nipovera, Platkroon, Sambala, Uasa-fike, Umusebeya, Unchampo, Untchaintchain, Usolo

Synonyms

Albizia chirindensis (Swynnerton ex E.G.Baker) Swynnerton; Albizia fastigiata (E.Meyer) Oliver; Albizia gummifera auct. non (J.F.Gmelin) C.A.Smith; Mimosa adiantifolia Schumach.;