Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Tracheophytes
Class: Magnolipsida
Order : Fabales Family : Fabaceae Genus : Albizia Species : Albizia lebbeck Scientific Name : Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth.

Common Names: English : lebbeck, lebbek tree, flea tree, frywood, koko and woman’s tongue tree. Hindi: Saras (सरस) Marathi: शिरस (shiras), शिरीष (shirish)

Description:

1. Habit and Habitat: Terrestrial, grows at an altitude of 750 m above the sea level6 and in fertile and semi-fertile soil. Height up to 9-10mts. Perennial, which can range from dark green to greyish green in colour.
2. Distribution: it is native to Indomalaya, New Guinea and Northern Australia and widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions
3. Morphology: Leaf: Bipinnate,7.5-15cms long, with 1-4 pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 6-18 leaflets. Inflorescence: Inflorescence is Heads Flower: Flowers mimosa-like, in showy, rounded clusters near stem tips, 5-6 cm across, cream or yellowish-white.White, fragrant, heads umbellate, from the upper leaf axils, solitary or fasciculate. Filaments exserted, connate below into a short tube.Flowers bisexual, Androecium: each flower with numerous long stamens. Gynoecium: ovary subsessile, glabrous, style 2.5 cm, filiform; stigma minute. Fruit:.Pods 10 - 25 cm long, 3 - 5 cm broad, thin, flat, straight, straw - coloured when old, glabrous and shining. Seeds : 4 - 12, spherical or slightly reniform, smooth, glabrous, yellowish brown. Flowering and Fruiting time : July - Oct ; Oct - Mar
4. Propagation: Through seeds.

5. Importance: The bark and seeds are used as astringent. The flowers are considered cooling and are externally applied in boils, eruptions, etc. The leaves, seeds etc. are used in opthalmia. The timber is valued for a variety of purposes.

6. Location: