Albizia versicolor

Albizia versicolor Oliv.

Common names

Large leaved Albizia; poison pod Albizia (English); ifumangoma, musasengoma, mutangatanga (Bemba); buwa, mlilanzeze, mpanga, msasempanga, msasempovu, msasengoma, dululu, mtangatanga, mtanga, msenjele (Nyanja); mulilanyeze (Tumbuka).

General description and distinguishing characteristics

A large, deciduous tree up to 20m tall, with a spreading crown. Bark rough, grey-brown; young branchlets with dense rusty hairs. Leaves compound, paripinnate, with 1-5 pairs of pinnae, each bearing 3-6 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets large, 1.5-6.5 x 1 x 5 cm, broadly obovate, oblong or sub-circular. Upper leaf surface leathery and hairy, lower surface densely hairy. Flowers white to greenish yellow with a reddish tinge, in fluffy heads; calyx densely rusty hairy, filaments up to 5 cm long (August-October). Fruit pods 10-27 x 3.2-6.5 cm, oblong, hairless, chestnut brown to crimson, ripening May to August the year after flowering.

Range and habitat

Albizia versicolor is found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, Angola and southwards down to South Africa. In the valley it occurs on the levees and sand deposits of major rivers.