Albizia

Albizia lucidior (Steud.) I.C.Nielsen

1. A. amara– have yellow fragrant flowers, a common avenue tree in S. India
2. A. labbek– the desi siris, with spreading crown, beautiful pinkish flowers, the colour is due to the coloured stamens. in most of the Albizia sp. the petals are either absent or inconspicuous. Women folk often use the flowers (cluster of flowers on a head, again each flower has a cluster of coloured and long stamens, giving a silky appearance- often also known as silk plant.) to adore hair style and as ear ornament.
3. A. stipulata– a common shade tree in Tea and Coffee plantation
4. A. procera– almost like labbek, known as safed siris- for whitish bark
5. A. odoratissima– the black siris, often known as Fragrant Albizia, a common host of lac insects.
6. A. julibrissia– has two vars. A. julibrissis var. julibrissia– the persian silk tree and A. julibrissia var. mollis or A. mollis– the red
or pink Albizia, the young stem is densely hairy , flowers light pink, not so attractive as A. labbek.
7. A. saman or Samanea saman or Pithocelbium saman – the rain tree, mostly with golden brown flowers, sometime pinkish. An Avenue tree and shade tree, perhaps the most common of the species. All Albizia flowers attract a number of birds with pointed beaks, as flower peckers, humming birds.