Shirish / Siris Tree
Albizia lebbeck
Also known as East India Walnut, Lebbek Tree, Raom Tree, Soros-Tree, Womans Tongue
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & more
- Flowering
- February-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Albizia lebbeck
- Genus
- Albizia
- Family
- Mimosaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Scrub forests and roadsides, also in plains
- Native to
- Tropical Himalaya
- Distribution
- Tropical & sub-tropical
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, Punjab
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Bipinnately compoundrecordedThe leaf is divided twice — each 'leaflet' is itself a row of smaller leaflets, giving a fine, fern-like look.“The leaves are bipinnate, 7.5–15 cm (3–6 in) long, with one to four pairs of pinnae, each pinna with 6–18 leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- Feathery bipinnate leafletsrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shirish itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded“The flowers are white, with numerous 2.5–3.8 cm (1.0–1.5 in) long stamens, and very fragrant.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a pod 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and 2.5–5.0 cm (1–2 in) broad, containing six to twelve seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shirish itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Saras सरस, Siris,शिरीष shirish
- Nepali
- कालो शिरीष Kaalo Siris, शिरीष
- Bengali
- শিরিষ
- Tamil
- வாகை Vagai, சிரிடம் Siridam, Vaagai, வாகை
- Telugu
- దిరిసన, దిరిసెన
- Kannada
- ಬಾಗೆ Baage, ಸಿರಿಸ, ಸಿರೀಸ Sirisa, Baage
- Malayalam
- Vaga, Vaka, നെന്മേനിവാക
- Marathi
- शिरीष
- Punjabi
- ਸ਼ਰੀਂਹ
- Assamese
- Kothiya-koroi, Sirish
- Urdu
- سرس
Shirish in India
Siris is a wide-canopied shade and avenue tree heard before it is seen — its dry pods rattle in the wind. Known as Saras सरस (Hindi), வாகை Vagai (Tamil), దిరిసన (Telugu), ಬಾಗೆ Baage (Kannada), Vaga (Malayalam), शिरीष (Marathi), Albizia lebbeck is recorded across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat.
Uses
It is widely planted for shade and as a fast-growing roadside and farm-forestry tree, and as a legume it improves soil. The bark and seeds have attributed uses in traditional medicine, and the timber is used for furniture and panelling.
How to Identify Shirish
A spreading tree with feathery, twice-divided leaves of fairly large leaflets. The flowers are greenish-cream powder-puffs of long stamens, fragrant at night, followed by long, flat, straw-coloured pods that persist and rattle audibly when dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Siris Tree called in different Indian languages?
- Saras सरस (Hindi); வாகை Vagai (Tamil); దిరిసన (Telugu); ಬಾಗೆ Baage (Kannada); Vaga (Malayalam); शिरीष (Marathi); শিরিষ (Bengali); ਸ਼ਰੀਂਹ (Punjabi).
- Why does the siris tree rattle?
- Its long, flat, papery pods hang on through the dry season and rattle their loose seeds in the breeze, giving it the nickname 'woman's-tongue tree'.
- Is siris a good shade tree?
- Yes — its broad, feathery canopy makes it a popular fast-growing shade and avenue tree, and as a legume it also enriches the soil.
Mimosaceae
Mimosa/Acacia family
Shirish belongs to the Mimosaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Mimosaceae
View all Mimosaceae →Sources: GBIF — Albizia lebbeck (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Albizia lebbeck (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Albizia lebbeck (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)