Albizia lebbeck
Family : Leguminosae - Mimosoideae
Common Name : Siris tree, Woman's tongue, Saras
English Name : Siris tree, Woman's tongue, Saras
Hindi Name : Khok, Kalla Siras
Telugu Name : Dirisanam
Bengali Name : Sirisha, Sirish
Tree Characteristics :
Medium to large tree with gray-brown bark; leaves bipinnate, the primary leaflets subopposite, 2-4 pairs; ultimate leaflets opposite, 6-8 pairs, oblong, slightly asymmetric, blunt, 2.5-4.5 cm long. Flowers mimosa-like, in showy, rounded clusters near stem tips, 5-6 cm (2-2.5 in) across, cream or yellowish-white, each flower with numerous long stamens. Fruit a flat, linear pod, to 30 cm (1 ft) long, with many seeds; dried pods persistent after leaf-fall, often heard rattling in the wind.
Nursery Practice :
Maturity indices for harvesting pods is a change in colour from yellow green to greyed-orange and that of seeds, from yellow-green to brown. Last week of December is the ideal time for the seed collection of A. lebbeck. Mature fruits (Pods) are yellow in colour, collected from the tree by knocking off the pods using long stick. Mature pods remain on trees for about four months. Seeds with initial germination of 20% have been stored in sealed tins for six years without substantial loss of viability. Soak the seeds for 24 hrs in boiled water and allow to cool or scarify the seeds using conc. Sulphuric acid for 25 min, wash thoroughly with running water and soak for 24 hrs in water before sowing Pretreated seeds are either sown in primary beds in March to April in lines (15 cms apart) and in the lines 2 cms apart. After 5 cms of growth, the seedlings are pricked out to polybags. The seeds can also be directly put in the bags (2 per each). No. of seeds per Kg is 6700 to 11,000; Germination Percentage is 65 to 70 and the Germination Period is 7 to 30 days.
Economic Use:
The heartwood is golden brown when freshly cut, turning to a rich dark brown with black streaks; it is clearly demarcated from the paler sapwood.
The wood is moderately heavy and hard; strong and fairly durable. It seasons well, works and polishes easily. An excellent, very decorative timber, it has been compared to black walnut. The wood is suitable for turnery, carving, general construction, furniture, veneer, agricultural implements etc
The bark contains 7 - 11% tannin and is used locally in India for tanning fishing nets.
A. lebbeck has salt tolerance.
The seeds of this plant may serve as a cheap source of protein and carbohydrate in food supplements for animals.
