General Information

COMMON NAMES: Rain Tree, Monkeypod [more accurately refers to related trees with a twisted pod], Saman [Sth. Am. vernacular] , Zamang; German Regenbaum GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Nicaragua - Peru - Venezuela; EXOTIC EXOTIC circumtropical COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands, horticultural - gardens SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Forestry, Ornamental leaves KEY FEATURES: A large tree with spreading crown with terminal compound leaves, grown for shade. Flowers form spiky, pink tufts; fruits are 15cm, brown, slightly flattened pods, with pale grooves near each edge. Oval seeds embedded in a sticky pulp.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	+	-	P	P	+	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Albizia saman (Jacq.)
SYNONYMS: Samanea saman [(Jacq.) Merr.]; Calliandra saman [(Jacq.) Griseb.]; Enterolobium saman [(Jacq.) Prain ex King]; Feuilleea saman [(Jacq.) Kuntze]; Inga saman [(Jacq.) Willd.]; Mimosa saman Jacq.; Pithecellobium saman [(Jacq.) Benth.]; Zygia saman [(Jacq.) Lyons]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Fabales (Legumes); MIMOSACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Forestry, Ornamental leaves. Comments: Fiji: widely used to makes bowls, trays and ornaments. Large heartwood planks (up to 50cm width) possible from Cooks material. Timber very similar to Rain Tree [ Albizia lebbek].

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.696 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.401 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.1001 Hortus 3rd
p.40 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.560 Tropica
p.3/079 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.60 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03a, zD02

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