Siris

Albizzia lebbeck

Same name in English, Bengali & Hindi

Medium to large deciduous tree with a shortish bole and thin spreading crown with twice feathered leaves. In Feb and early Mar, the tree is full of straw-colored pods in bare branches.

Leaf: Twice feathered, 10’’ long with 2-4 pairs of side stalks with up to 10 pairs of oppositely arrange leaflet, each about 1-2’’ long.

Flower: Powder puff like with greenish-yellow stamens in 2-4 long stalked heads

Fruit: Flat straw-colored pod 8-12’’ long and 1’’ wide

Season: Leaves fall by end of winter and renewed by March. In flower from Late Mar to Apr with with a second crop in early rains.

Range/habitat: Almost all type of forests in India from plain to low hills, westwards till Indus river, east ward till northern Australia through Myanmar & south east Asia

Trivia and notes: This is the “original” Siris. Almost all other siris have a an adjective before it. Surprisingly rare in urban areas where preference is given to Rain tree or bilati siris. Relatively more common in rural areas

Where to Find: Only a single young tree in north west section of the lake close to the water (22.51162N,88.35863E).