img

Falcataria falcata

(L.) Greuter & R.Rankin (2016)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Falcataria

albizia, batai, Moluccan albizia

img

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees up to 40 m tall, bark white, gray, or greenish, smooth or slightly warty, young parts densely reddish brown tomentose or puberulent.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Leaves pinnae (4–)8–15 pairs, leaflets 15–25 pairs per pinna. Leaves with a large nectary below the lowermost pair of pinnae and smaller ones between or below most pairs of pinnae, leaflets 10–20 mm long, 3–6 mm wide, with nectaries on leaf rachises and pinnae. Nectaries present on leaf rachises and pinnae. Leaflet margins entire. Midrib strongly excentric near 1 of the margins. Petiolate. Stipules present, caducous.

Flowers: Flowers in panicles ca. 20 cm in diameter, often with 2 serial branches from 1 bract scar. Flowers bisexual (perfect), mimosaceous. Calyx lobes 5, valvate, 1–1.5 mm long, silky pubescent, the teeth 0.5 mm long. Corolla cream or greenish yellow, 3–4.5 mm long (excl. stamens), 5-lobed. Stamens 10–17 mm long. Ovary superior; style 1, apical.

Fruit: Pods flat; straight; dehiscent along both sutures; 9–12 cm long; 1.5–2.5 cm wide; densely pubescent or glabrous; with a narrow; longitudinal wing along the upper suture. Seeds transversely arranged; ellipsoid; 5–7 mm long; 2.5–3.5 mm wide; laterally flattened; with a pleurogram ca. 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide; with a distinct; horseshoe–shaped pleurogram.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Disturbed mesic to wet areas.

Elevation Range: 25–600 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

img

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Wind
Forestry

Pollinators

Notes

  • 25-600m
  • Cultivated on Oahu as early as 1930
  • Description digitized by Yuki Ishida
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii

Bibliography

Name Published In: Espermat. Cuba Invent. Prelim.: XII (2016)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:690 (K, O, Mo, H [as Paraserianthes falcataria]); Herbarium Pacificum Staff 1998:10 (Syn. P. falcataria = Falcataria moluccana); Staples & Herbst 2005:299 (KEY), 331 (DESCR); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2002:8 (WM); Starr et al. 2003:27 (EM); Oppenheimer 2007:23 (L); Greuter & Rankin Rodríguez 2016:12 (Syn. F. moluccana = F. falcata [basionym Adenanthera falcata L. (1754) has priority over Albizia moluccana Miq. (1855)]); Lori Buchanan pers. comm. 2025 (Mo†, 2020)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Falcataria falcata Lava Tree State Park, 20 mi SE of Hilo Preserved_Specimen tree of 80'; 1-2 1/2' diam. Little Jr., E.L. 31058 Hawaii BISH 1976-08-17
2 Falcataria falcata Akaka Falls State Park HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 7/9/2016
3 Falcataria falcata Hilo, in residential area HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 6/8/2018
4 Falcataria falcata Waiahole, Water Reserve Preserved_Specimen leaves, even-pinnate, 8-14 prs. pinnae; flowers white, small; pod flat, 6x3/4. Saito, F. 13 Oahu BISH 1962-04-13
5 Falcataria falcata East Maui, Makawao District, Haiku, E Kuiaha Rd Preserved_Specimen Large tree 6m ht, diameter up to almost 1m; self cleaning, smooth white bark; leaflets 15-25 per pair. Starr, F. 5261 Maui BISH 2000-05-26
6 Falcataria falcata Kipapa Gulch, by road Preserved_Specimen flowers white Edmondson, C.H. Oahu BISH 1944-07-02
7 Falcataria falcata Honolulu, Foster Gardens Preserved_Specimen Tree: flower filaments white, turning brown Potter, C. Oahu BISH 1961-05-01
8 Falcataria falcata hills above Hilo HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 6/8/2018
9 Falcataria falcata Puna, road between Pahoa and cosat (to Warm Springs), in field Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 3036 Hawaii BISH 1959-08-01
10 Falcataria falcata Puna District, Kapoho, near the intersection of Routes 132 & 137 Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 40024 Hawaii BISH 2000-04-24
11 Falcataria falcata Kapaa, along edge of un-maintained reservoir HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Kauai 10/15/2003
12 Falcataria falcata Puna HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 8/2/2013
13 Falcataria falcata Akaka Falls State Park HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 7/9/2016
14 Falcataria falcata W Maui, Lahaina District, Honokohau, Pohakupule Gulch Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 50003 Maui BISH 2000-05-02
15 Falcataria falcata Kipapa Preserved_Specimen Korte, K.H. Oahu BISH 1944-09-02
16 Falcataria falcata Manoa Valley, near head, arboretum of H.S.P.A Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1930-12-11
17 Falcataria falcata Kohala Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Hawaii BISH 1939-06-20
18 Falcataria falcata Molokai Preserved_Specimen Uehara, S. Molokai BISH 1958-02-09
19 Falcataria falcata W Maui, Lahaina District, Honokohau, Pohakupule Gulch Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 50003 Maui BISH 2000-05-02
20 Falcataria falcata Keaaku Gulch Common on leeward flats, in some windward headwaters, and outside Lana`i City along rds and in gulches. Preserved_Specimen Trees with spreading crown, gray smooth bark; white flowers. Oppenheimer, H.L. 80622 Lanai BISH 2006-08-16
21 Falcataria falcata Nonou Forest Reserve just inside, behind Wailua house lots Preserved_Specimen tree to 50'; dbh 14. Flowers solitary at tips of branches; whitish Spence, G. 414 Kauai BISH 1976-11-02
22 Falcataria falcata Honolulu, 3349 Round Top Dr. roadside, forest; with Malvaviscus arboreus, Psidium guajava Preserved_Specimen to 40 m tree; nectary below lowermost pinnae Ray, G. 49 Oahu BISH 1997-09-11
23 Falcataria falcata Kipapa Trail, off trail, S of trail, flattened peak of Puu Kamana disturbed wet lowland forest; Metrosideros, Acacia, Dicranopteris Preserved_Specimen ~6 m tree; trunk extending out over slope below peak of puu Reynolds, L.S. 117 Oahu BISH 2006-06-08
24 Falcataria falcata Waiahole Valley, road to ditch trail wet forest of exotic trees Preserved_Specimen tree to 30-35 m, 2 m dbh. Fosberg, F.R. 59475 Oahu BISH 1980-03-01
25 Falcataria falcata Wailua Game Reserve on plots stripmined for bauxite ore in 1958-60. Tree plot area. Fertilizer applied topically Preserved_Specimen Tree of 15 m, top spreading; flowers white, fruit green Howard, R.A. 20250 Kauai BISH 1985-10-20
26 Falcataria falcata East side of Manoa Road, last bend before Arboretum entrance Preserved_Specimen ~18 in. dbh. Ht. 50 ft. Nagata, K.M. 226 Oahu BISH 1967-06-14
27 Falcataria falcata Honolulu: Manoa Valley; between Lyon Arboretum and Manoa Falls Trail Preserved_Specimen tree with wide-spreading, level-topped branches, white flowers Herbst, D.R. 677 Oahu BISH 1967-10-25
28 Falcataria falcata Lava Tree State Park HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 6/16/2004
29 Falcataria falcata 47 mi SW of Hilo on State Route 11; SW of Volcanoes National Park Preserved_Specimen tree of 10 m; filaments white; fruits green Miller, J.S. 7956 Hawaii BISH 1992-08-06
30 Falcataria falcata Lyon Arboretum, Middle Lawn Makai Preserved_Specimen Tree 25in. dbh. Ht. 60 ft. Nagata, K.M. 227 Oahu BISH 1967-06-14
31 Falcataria falcata NE part Preserved_Specimen Large spreading tree 60', 2 diam. Little Jr., E.L. 31178 Kauai BISH 1976-09-02
Back to Top