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Woman's tongue

Thu, 05/03/2007 - 2:41pm — beth56
Albizia lebbeck -- Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

Albizia lebbeck

Non-Native in Florida

 woman's tongue

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    Albizia lebbeck is occasionaly found at disturbed sites in the southern penisula and central regions of Florida. Woman's tongue is native to Asia but escaped cultivation (Wunderlin, 1998).

    Appearance: Deciduous, unarmed tree to 20 m (65 ft) tall, with a rounded, spreading crown and pale bark.

    Leaves: Alternate, twice compound, with 2–5 pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 3–10 pairs of leaflets; leaflets elliptic-oblong, 2–4 cm (1–2 in) long. Usually asymmetrical at base, dull green above, paler green below.

    Flowers: Mimosa-like, in showy, rounded clusters near stem tips, 5–6 cm (2–2.5 in) across, cream or yellowish-white; each flower with numerous long stamens.

    Fruit: Flat, linear pod, to 30 cm (1 ft) long, with many seeds; dried pods persistent after leaf-fall, often heard rattling in the wind.
    Ecological threat:

    Invading tropical hammocks in the Florida Keys and the somewhat disturbed pinelands of Everglades National Park. Also invading pine rocklands and canopy gaps in the rockland hammocks in Dade County. FLEPPC Category I

    Distribution: C, SW, SE

    Text from Invasive and Non-Native Plants You Should Know, Recognition Cards, by A. Richard and V. Ramey, 2007. UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Publ. No. SP 431.

    Download the Recognition Card (PDF 984 KB).

    For more information and pictures about woman's tongue, see the Langeland/Burks book, Identification & Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas.

    The UF/IFAS Assessment lists plants according to their invasive status in Florida.

    woman's tongue View the herbarium specimen image of the University of Florida Herbarium Digital Imaging Projects.