Difference between revisions of "Albizia saman"

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'''''Albizia saman''''' (sometimes treated under the obsolete name ''Samanea saman'') is a species of [[Flowering plant|flowering]] [[tree]] in the [[pea]] family, [[Fabaceae]], that is native to the [[Neotropic ecozone|Neotropics]]. Its range extends from [[Mexico]] south to [[Peru]] and [[Brazil]], but it has been widely [[Introduced species|introduced]] to [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]], as well as the [[Pacific Islands]], including [[Hawaii]]. Common names include saman, rain tree and monkeypod (see also [[#Names|below]]). It is often placed in the genus ''[[Samanea]]'',<ref>{{GRIN | accessdate=2010-03-25}}</ref> which by yet other authors is subsumed in ''Albizia'' entirely.
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==External links==
 
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-jrSxViFwU Weird Explorer]
==Description==
 
[[File:Flower & flower buds- Samanea saman I IMG 3407.jpg|thumb|left|Pink-flowered rain tree [[Pollination|pollinated]] by a black [[carpenter bee]]<br />[[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]] ([[India]]).]]
 
Saman is a wide-canopied tree with a large symmetrical crown. It usually reaches a height of {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a diameter of 40&nbsp;m. The leaves fold in rainy weather and in the evening, hence the name "rain tree" and "five o'clock tree" (Pukul Lima) in Malay. Several lineages of this tree are available, e.g., with reddish pink and creamish golden colored flowers.
 
 
 
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&nbsp;ft (about 180.8 m<ref>Presuming von Humboldt used the [[Magdeburg]] foot of 1755, introduced in [[Prussia]] in 1793, which was 1.044 ft (31.385 cm).</ref>), its diameter was around 190&nbsp;ft (about 59.6 m), on a trunk at 9&nbsp;ft (about 2.8 m) in diameter and reaching just 60&nbsp;ft (nearly 19 m) in height. Humboldt mentioned the tree was reported to have changed little since the [[History of Venezuela#Spanish period|Spanish colonization of Venezuela]]; he estimated it to be as old as the famous [[Canary Islands Dragon Tree|Canary Islands dragon tree]] (''Dracaena draco'') of [[Icod de los Vinos]] on [[Tenerife]].<ref>von Humboldt & Bonpland (1820): pp.98-100</ref>
 
 
 
The tree, called ''Samán de Güere'' ([[Transcription (linguistics)|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 [[greenhouse]]s at [[Schönbrunn Castle]].<ref name = humboldt99>von Humboldt & Bonpland (1820): p.99 footnote</ref>  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 twelve feet (3.66&nbsp;meters) diameter at breast height (DBH).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.outreachecology.com/landmark/lti_q008/ |title=Landmark Trees of India | last=<not stated> |date= November 4, 2012 }}</ref>
 
 
 
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==
 
[[File:Chamchuri yak.JPG|thumb|right|A giant specimen near [[Kanchanaburi]], [[Thailand]], known locally as ''chamchuri-yak'' (จามจุรียักษ์). "Chamchuri" is the Thai name of the tree species, whereas "yak" is the Thai pronunciation of [[yaksha]], a mythical demon, referring in this context to the monstrous size of the tree.]]
 
 
 
''Albizia saman'' is a well-known tree, rivalled perhaps only by [[lebbeck]] and [[Albizia julibrissin|pink siris]] among its [[genus]]. It is well represented in many languages and has numerous local names in its native range. Most names that originated in [[Europe]] (where the tree hardly grows at all) are some variety of "rain tree". The original name, saman - known in many languages and used for the [[specific name (botany)|specific epithet]] - derives from ''zamang'', meaning "[[Mimosoideae]] tree" in some [[Cariban languages]] of northern Venezuela.<ref name = humboldt99 />
 
 
 
The name "rain tree" was coined in tropical India, especially Bengal. Its origin is the moisture that collects on the ground under the tree, largely the [[Honeydew (melon)|honeydew]]-like discharge of [[cicada]]s feeding on the leaves.
 
* [[English (language)|English]]: saman, rain tree, monkey pod, giant thibet, inga saman,<ref>It is a rather close relative to the [[inga]]s.</ref> cow tamarind,<ref name = nottamarind>Among the [[legumes]], it is not very closely related to [[tamarind]]s.</ref> East Indian walnut,<ref>It is not at all closely related to [[walnut]]s.</ref> soar, suar.
 
:[[Grenada]]: coco tamarind<ref name = nottamarind />
 
:[[Guyana]]: French tamarind<ref name = nottamarind />
 
* [[Spanish (language)|Spanish]]: ''cenízaro'', ''acacia preta'', ''árbol de lluvia'' (rain tree), ''genízaro''
 
: [[Cuba]]: ''algarrobo''
 
: [[Central America]]: ''carreto, cenicero, dormilon, genizaro, zarza''
 
: [[Colombia]]: ''campano, saman''
 
: [[Venezuela]]: ''carabeli, couji, lara, urero, samán''
 
* [[French language|French]]: ''arbre à (la) pluie'' (rain tree)
 
* [[German language|German]]: ''Regenbaum'' (rain tree), ''Soar'', ''Suar''
 
* [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''chorona''
 
* [[Haitian Creole language|Haitian Creole]]: ''guannegoul(e)''
 
* [[Jamaica]]<!-- Caribbean region dialect/creole/language? -->: ''goango, guango''
 
* [[Trinidad]]: Samaan Tree
 
In the [[Caribbean]] region, it is occasionally called ''marsave''.
 
 
 
* [[Sanskrit]]: ''Shiriisha''
 
* [[Bengali language|Bengali]]: ''shirish'' শিরীষ
 
* [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]: ''shirish''
 
* [[Hindi]]: ''vilaiti siris'' सीरस
 
* [[Kannada]]: ''Bhagaya mara''
 
* [[Malayalam]]: ''chakkarakkay maram'' ചക്കരക്കായ്‌ മരം
 
* [[Marathi language|Marathi]]: ''विलायती शिरीश'' (exotic shirish)
 
* [[Sinhala language|Sinhalese]]: ''mara''
 
* [[Tamil language|Tamil]]: ''thoongu moonji maram'' தூங்குமூஞ்சி மரம் (Literal translation is tree with a sleeping face, actual meaning is sleepy tree. Refers to leaves closing in the evening)
 
* [[Telugu language|Telugu]]: ''nidra ganneru'' తెలుగు
 
* [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]: ''meh''
 
* [[Malay language|Malay]]: ''pukul lima'' (five o'clock tree, in [[Malaysia]]), ''pokok hujan'' (rain tree)
 
* [[Javanese language|Javanese]]: ''trembesi''
 
* [[Khmer language|Khmer]] ''ampil barang'' (French tamarind)
 
* [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]]: ''bonara(mbaza), kily vazaha, madiromany, mampihe, mampohehy''
 
* [[Burmese language|Burmese]]: ''kokko'' ကုက္ကို
 
* [[Sundanese language|Sundanese]]: ''ki hujan'' (rain tree)
 
* [[Thai language|Thai]]: ก้ามปู (''kampu''), ฉำฉา (''chamcha''), จามจุรีแดง (''chamchuri daeng''), จามจุรี (''chamchuri'')
 
* [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]: ''còng'', ''muồng tím'', ''cây mưa'' (rain tree)
 
 
 
As an introduced plant on [[Fiji]], it is called in some regions ''vaivai (ni vavalagi)'', 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.
 
 
 
==Notable trees==
 
[[File:Flooded Albizia Saman (rain tree) in the Mekong.jpg|thumb|Submerged ''Albizia Saman'' in the [[Mekong]], near the island of [[Don Loppadi]], [[Laos]], during the dry season (when the river is low)]]
 
 
 
During the production of the 1960 film ''[[Swiss Family Robinson (1960 film)|Swiss Family Robinson]]'', a {{convert|60|m|ft}} tall albizia saman tree in Tobago 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 {{coord|11|12|42.8|N|60|37|46.5|W|format=dms}} near Goldsborough, Tobago.  This 200 foot figure comes from the motion picture company, and motion picture publicity departments have been known to exaggerate.  This height needs to be independently confirmed.
 
 
 
==CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration==
 
According to a research conducted at the School of Forestry of the [[Bogor Agricultural Institute]], [[Indonesia]], a mature tree with a crown diameter measuring 15 meters absorbed 28.5 tons of CO<sub>2</sub> annually. The trees have been planted in cities of [[Kudus, Kudus|Kudus]] and [[Demak, Indonesia|Demak]] and also will be planted along the shoulder of the road from [[Semarang]] to [[Losari]].<ref>http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/18/save-earth-planting-trembesi.html</ref>
 
{{clear}}
 
==Gallery==
 
<gallery>
 
File:Albizia saman (Raintree) (6).jpg
 
File:Albizia saman (Raintree) (14).jpg
 
File:Albizia saman (Raintree) (15).jpg
 
File:Albizia saman (Raintree) (18).jpg
 
File:During falling leaf period Samanea saman.jpg|During falling leaf period<br />[[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]]
 
File:Bark- Black-rumped Flameback I IMG 9087.jpg|[[Black-rumped flameback]] (''Dinopium benghalense'') on rain tree bark<br />Kolkata, West Bengal (India)
 
File:Pods I IMG 3110.jpg|Pods<br />Kolkata, West Bengal, India
 
File:AlbiziaSaman.jpg|Leaves, flowers, dried pods, seeds <br />[[Chonburi (city)|Chonburi]], [[Thailand]].
 
File:Bark of Albizia saman.jpg|Mature Bark
 
File:Albizia saman.jpg|Cut wood
 
File:Albizia saman 0155.JPG|Rain Tree Flower
 
</gallery>
 
  
 
==Footnotes==
 
==Footnotes==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
  
==References==
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[[Category:Fabaceae]]
{{Commons category|Albizia saman}}
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[[Category:Plants for Keenan to eat]]
{{Wikispecies}}
 
* {{aut|Arditti, Joseph & On, Mak Chin}} (2004): [https://web.archive.org/web/20110822144645/http://www.maryland.com.sg/yellow%20rain%20tree.htm The Golden Rain Tree]. Version of 2004-MAY-01. Retrieved 2008-MAR-31.
 
* {{aut|International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS)}} (2005): [http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?version~10.01&LegumeWeb&tno~158&genus~Albizia&species~saman ''Albizia saman'']. Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2008-MAR-30.
 
* {{aut|[[Alexander von Humboldt|von Humboldt, Alexander]] & [[Aimé Bonpland|Bonpland, Aimé]]}} (1815): ''Reise in die Aequinoctial-Gegenden des neuen Continents'' (Part 3). J.G. Cotta, Stuttgart and Tübingen. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0YJAAAAQAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_summary_r Image/PDF fulltext] at [[Google Books]]
 
 
 
==External links==
 
* [http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/samanea_saman.htm Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project page for ''Samanea saman'']
 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090815145350/http://forest.ap.nic.in/Silviculture%20of%20Species/Forest%20Seeds/078.htm Reference for Telugu word Nidra Ganneru]
 
 
 
{{Authority control}}
 
 
 
<br>
 
{{Taxonbar|from=Q259500}}
 
 
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albizia Saman}}
 
[[Category:Albizia|saman]]
 
[[Category:Trees of Brazil]]
 
[[Category:Trees of Peru]]
 
[[Category:Trees of the Philippines]]
 
[[Category:Trees of Central America]]
 
[[Category:Invasive plant species]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:28, 27 December 2018

Albizia saman
Hitachi's tree (cropped).jpg
The Hitachi Tree at the Moanalua Gardens, Hawaii

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Subfamily:
(unranked):
Genus:
Species:
A. saman
Binomial name
Albizia saman
Synonyms[2]

External links

Footnotes