Taxon:  Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.



Summary
Genus:
Samanea
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:
Ingeae
Nomen number:
32979
Place of publication:
J. Washington Acad. Sci. 6:47.  1916
Verified:
05/01/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
23 (5  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Mimosa saman Jacq.

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.
Inga saman (Jacq.) Willd.
Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1981. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam.
  4. Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
  5. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  6. Elevitch, C. R., ed. The traditional tree initiative: species profiles for Pacific Island agroforestry (on-line resource). Note:
    • Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), Holualoa, Hawai'i
    • http://www.traditionaltree.org/
  7. Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:224-227.
  8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  9. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  10. Isely, D. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25(1):115. Note: = Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth.
  11. Lewis, G. P. 1987. Legumes of Bahia Note: mentions
  12. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  13. Little, E. L., Jr. et al. 1964-1974. Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Note: = Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth.
  14. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist Note: = Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.
  15. Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
  16. Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. 1936-. Flora of Peru Note: = Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth.
  17. Nasir, S. M. & M. Athar. 1998. Fuelwood as an energy source. Phytologia 85:106.
  18. National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
  19. Nielsen, I. C. 1981. Tribe 5. Ingeae Benth. Advances in legume systematics. 1:180. Note: places Samanea in synonymy under Albizia Durazz.
  20. Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova. Note: = Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.
  21. Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1985. Flora of Thailand.
  22. Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth.
  23. Verdcourt, B. 1979. A manual of New Guinea legumes.
  24. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcow-tamarind  1Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:224-227.
EnglishFrench-tamarind  1Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
Englishmonkeypod  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishraintree  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Frencharbre de pluie  2Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:224-227.
Spanishsamán  2Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
Swedishregnträd  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaEl Salvador  Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaragua  Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanamaBocas del Toro Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanamaCoclé Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanamaPanamá Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuela  Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombia  Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
2Cultivated    also cult. in tropics 
4Naturalized    natzd. elsewhere in tropics 
6Other    exact native range in neotropics obscure 
Native
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama [Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Panamá], El Salvador
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia
Cultivated (also cult. in tropics)
Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere in tropics)
Other (exact native range in neotropics obscure)

Reference(s)
  1. Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalagroforestry Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
Environmentalornamental Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
Environmentalshade/shelter Barneby, R. C. & J. W. Grimes. 1996. Silk tree, guanacaste, monkey's earring: a generic system for the synandrous Mimosaceae of the Americas. Part I. Abarema, Albizia, and allies. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 74(1):119-121.
FuelsfuelwoodpotentialNasir, S. M. & M. Athar. 1998. Fuelwood as an energy source. Phytologia 85:106.
Invertebrate foodlac insects Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds. 1997. Auxiliary plants. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 11:224-227.
Materialscarved material Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
Materialswood National Academy of Sciences. 1979. Tropical legumes: resources for the future
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=32979. Accessed 15 April 2026.