Albizia

Albizia is a genus of about 150 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, America and Australia, but mostly in the Old World tropics. Some species are considered weeds.

They are commonly called "silk plants", "silk trees" or "sirises". Peculiarly, the obsolete form of spelling the generic name - with double 'z' - has stuck, so that another commonly used term is "albizzias" (though the form "albizias" is also found, particularly in species that are not widely known under a common name). The generic name refers to the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who in the mid-18th century introduced the plants to Europe.

They are usually small trees or shrubs with a short lifespan - though the famous Samán del Guère near Maracay in Venezuela is a huge Albizia saman specimen and several hundred years old. The leaves are pinnately or bipinnately compound. Their small flowers are in bundles, with stamens much longer than the petals. The stamens are usually showy, although in some species such as A. canescens the flowers are inconspicuous.

Confusingly, some species are given the name "mimosa" which correctly belongs to species in the related genus Mimosa. Unlike those of Mimosa, Albizia flowers have many more than 10 stamens. Albizia can also be told apart from another large related genus, Acacia, since its flowers have their stamens joined at the base whereas in Acacia stamens are free (separated).

Albizias are important forage, timber and medicinal plants in addition to being cultivated for their often attractive flowers.

Albizia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moths of the genus Endoclita inclulding E. damor, E. malabaricus and E. sericeus.