Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

arbre à soie

English translation:

Pink silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)

Added to glossary by Craig Macdonald
Nov 21, 2012 15:55
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

arbre à soie

French to English Science Botany
In a brochure for an anti-tiredness product:

"... grâce à un tout nouvel actif anti-fatigue extrait d’arbre à soie..."

Is this "mulberry", the tree whose leaves are loved by silkworms? The same pamphlet also refers to another extract from "marron d’inde", which I believe is "horse chestnut".

Proposed translations

+4
8 mins
Selected

Pink silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)

No, it is not the mulberry tree.

Arbre à soie has the Latin name Albizia Julibrissin (Ref. 2 below). Ref. 1 gives the English equivalent
Peer comment(s):

agree John Speese : That's what I though too when I first saw the question! I'm very familiar with this tree as it has naturalized everywhere in the USA. It's sometimes also called mimosa in the US, and although it is in the same family, mimosa is technically another genus.
1 hr
agree Claire Cox : I loved this tree when I first encountered it on a holiday to Greece many moons ago; I managed to grow one from seed one year, but unfortunately it hasn't survived the rigours of a Sussex winter...
1 hr
agree Rachel Fell : nice (well, unless it's become a weed where one lives, I suppose...)
2 hrs
agree Anne R : Beautiful tree, I get the chance to see them here in Italy
19 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
7 mins

silk tree

.
Peer comment(s):

agree Rachel Fell
2 hrs
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7 mins

muddar

.

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Note added at 10 mins (2012-11-21 16:05:43 GMT)
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also: madar / mudar / Yercum fibre according to IATE
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+2
7 mins

Albizia julibrissin (for common names, see explanation)

"L'Albizia, Arbre à soie ou Mimosa de Constantinople (Albizia julibrissin), est un arbre à feuillage caduc de la famille des Fabacées. Il est originaire d'Asie de l'Est et du Sud, mais il a été répandu par l'homme sur presque tous les continents. Apprécié pour ses qualités ornementales, cet albizia possède une floraison très décorative sous forme de pompons roses et son feuillage découpé ainsi que son port étalé lui permettent de fournir un ombrage léger. Mais sa capacité à se naturaliser facilement, doublée d'une reproduction intensive à la fois sur un mode sexué et asexué, ont rendu cette plante invasive dans plusieurs régions du monde, notamment aux États-Unis."

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin

Albizia julibrissin is known by a wide variety of common names, such as Persian silk tree or pink siris. It is also called Lenkoran acacia or bastard tamarind, though it is not too closely related to either genus. The species is usually called "silk tree" or "mimosa" in the United States, which is misleading - the former name can refer to any species of Albizia which is most common in any one locale. And, although once included in Mimosa, neither is it very close to the Mimoseae. To add to the confusion, several species of Acacia, notably Acacia baileyana and Acacia dealbata, are also known as "mimosa" (especially in floristry), and many Fabaceae trees with highly divided leaves are called thus in horticulture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin

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Note added at 10 mins (2012-11-21 16:05:43 GMT)
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From the same article, it is apparent that parts of the tree are indeed used for "medicinal" purposes:

"A. julibrissin has been found to possess antidepressant effects in mice, most likely mediated through 5-HT1A receptors.[4] In traditional Chinese medicine Albizzia jublibrissin (合歡花 He Huan Hua) is used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit."
Peer comment(s):

agree Claire Cox
1 hr
Thanks!
agree Rachel Fell
2 hrs
Thanks!
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