Adenanthera pavonina
(red-bead tree)

Preferred Scientific Name

• Adenanthera pavonina L., 1753

Preferred Common Name

• red-bead tree

Other Scientific Names

• Adenanthera gersenii Scheff.
• Adenanthera polita Miq.
• Corallaria parvifolia Rumph.

International Common Names

• English: bead tree; circassian seed; circassian-bean; coral bean tree; coral wood; crab's eyes; false sandalwood; false wiliwili; jumbie bead; peacock flower-fence; peacock tree; Polynesian peanut; red sandalwood; red sandalwood tree; red wood; saga bean tree
• Spanish: arbol de coral; caralillo; caralín; carolina; coral; coralitos; coralitos peonía; delicia; jumbie bread; peronía; peronías
• French: bois de condor; bois de condori; bois noir de Bourbon; bois noir rouge; église; reglisse

Local Common Names

• Australia: circassan tree; red beantree; zumbic tree
• Brazil: carolina; tento-carolina
• Cambodia: chan'trèi
• Cuba: coralillo; coralín
• Dominican Republic: peronía extranjera
• Fiji: lera; lerendamu; pomea
• French Polynesia: peacock; pitipitio
• Germany: Condoribaum; Indischer Korallenbaum
• Guam: colales; culalis; kolales
• Haiti: deleite
• India: anikundumani; bandi guruvenda; coralitos; jumble bead; kunchandana; lopa; malatanglin; manjadi; manjetti; peronias; raktakambal; saga; thorligunj
• Indonesia: kitoke laut; saga telik; segawe sabrang
• Italy: pavoncina minore; semi di corallo
• Laos: lam
• Lesser Antilles: arbre à église; corail végétal; dilmawi; graine réglisse; graine rouge; jumbi bead tree
• Malaysia: mai-chek; saga daun tumpul; saga tumpul
• Netherlands: koraal-boom; sandelhout, rood
• Philippines: malatinglin
• Puerto Rico: granate; mato colorado; palo de mato; peronías chatas
• Saint Lucia: dalmawi
• Samoa: lopa
• Thailand: ma clam ta cheng; ma clam ton; ma hok daeng; ma klam ta chang; ma klam ton
• Tonga: lopa
• United States Virgin Islands: coquelicot
• USA: legliz
• USA/Hawaii: false wili wili

EPPO code

• ADEPA (Adenanthera pavonina)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Fabales
•                         Family: Fabaceae
•                             Subfamily: Mimosoideae
•                                 Genus: Adenanthera
•                                     Species: Adenanthera pavonina

The subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae is characterized by leaves that are often bicompound and have extra-floral nectaries on the petioles. Flowers within this subfamily are small, often borne in heads, and all open more or less simultaneously. The subfamily Mimosoideae includes 82 genera and 3275 species (Stevens, 2012) distributed in tropical and warm temperate zones. Adenanthera is a genus with about 13 species distributed in Asia, Indo-China, Malesia, Papua New Guinea to SW Pacific, Australia,and Madagascar, with one species widely introduced in Africa and the Neotropics (Luckow, 2005). The name Adenanthera is derived from a combination of the Greek words “aden”, a gland, and the “anther”, anther, alluding to the anther’s characteristics of being tipped and having a deciduous gland (Orwa et al., 2009).

A. pavonina is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree, 6-15 m tall and up to 45 cm diameter, depending on location; generally erect; bark dark brown to greyish, the inner bark soft, pale brown, and the slash soft, white and fibrous; crown spreading; multiple stems common, as are slightly buttressed trunks in older trees, upper bole sometimes spirally fluted. Leaves are very large, bipinnate with a large swollen pulvinus; 2-6 opposite or sub-opposite pairs of pinnae, each with 8-21 alternate leaflets on short stalks; leaflets 2-4.3 x 1 cm, oblong to ovate, with an asymmetric base and blunt apex, dull green above, light green beneath, turning yellow with age. Flowers in narrow spike like racemes, 12-15(-25) cm long; flowers fragrant, small, petals 5, oblong or elliptic, cream or whites lightly connate at the base, stamens 10, as long as the petals, the anthers tipped with minute glands. Legumes linear, flattened, 15-22 x 1.3-1.5(-2) cm with slight constrictions between seeds, dark brown, turning black upon ripening, leathery, dehiscent from top to bottom by twisting valves to reveal 8-12 hard-coated, vivid scarlet seeds, 7.5-9 mm in diameter, lens shaped; seeds adhere to pod. Ripened fruits can remain on the tree for long periods, sometimes until the following reproductive season (Orwa et al., 2009; PROSEA, 2012).

A. pavonina has been widely introduced in tropical and subtropical regions to be used in agroforestry systems. This tree is a nitrogen-fixing species commonly used as animal fodder, green manure, and for soil improvement. It is cultivated in tropical Asia from the Malay peninsula, Greater Sunda Islands; Celebes, Lesser Sunda Islands, through to the Mollucas and New Guinea (Nielsen and Fortune Hopkins, 1992). In the West Indies, this species was first reported in 1864 as a naturalized tree in Jamaica (Grisebach, 1864). Later, in 1879 H.F.A. Eggers reported it for the island of St. Croix. By 1905, A. pavonina is described by I. Urban as “culta et quasi spontanea” in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Vincent, and Bequia (Grenadines) (Urban, 1905).

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• neutral

Soil texture

• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• infertile
• shallow

A. pavonina spreads by seeds that allow this species to easily escape cultivated areas. Seeds are probably eaten and dispersed by birds, but they can also be dispersed by water, adhered to animals or adhered to agriculture machinery (Orwa et al., 2009, ISSG, 2012; PIER, 2012). Long distance dispersal has been intentional, as A. pavonina has been widely planted outside its native range for its agroforestry and ornamental services and its wood, and is known to have naturalised in many countries.

A. pavonina is a fast growing species with the potential to invade both undisturbed and disturbed forests. It can grow quickly forming dense thickets which can displace and prevent the establishment of native vegetation (ISSG, 2012; PIER, 2012). In the Seychelles, A. pavonina has spread rapidly in secondary forests and has prevented the regeneration of native trees and shrubs (Weber, 2003).

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Highly mobile locally
• Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
• Long lived
• Has high reproductive potential
• Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year

• Altered trophic level
• Damaged ecosystem services
• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Modification of nutrient regime
• Monoculture formation
• Negatively impacts animal health
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Competition - shading
• Competition (unspecified)
• Poisoning
• Rapid growth

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

A. pavonina is extensively cultivated as a valuable multipurpose agroforestry species which acts as a windbreak, a source of fodder, green manure, and for improving soil nitrogen content through its rhizobial associations (Norani, 1983; Orwa et al., 2009; PROSEA, 2012). Its wood is hard and has been used for constructing decorative wood products as well as for bridge and household construction (beams, posts, joists and rafters), flooring, paving blocks and vehicle bodies. It may also be suitable for furniture and cabinet work and turnery (Benthal, 1946; Clark and Thaman, 1993; Zarnowski et al., 2004). It can be used as a substitute for true red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus). It is a popular fuelwood in the Pacific Islands as the wood burns readily and produces significant amounts of heat.

In several islands in the Pacific (i.e., Melanesia and Polynesia), this species is known as a ‘food tree’. Seeds are roasted and eaten by humans and young leaves are eaten as a vegetable (Orwa et al., 2009). Nutritional studies show the seed oil contains a high percentage of protein and fatty acids (Burkill 1966; Balogun and Fetuga, 1985). In India, Malaysia and Indonesia, this species is used in traditional medicine against rheumatism, migraines, headaches; and dysentery. The red, glossy seeds are used for necklaces and decorative ornaments (Roshetko and Gutteridge, 1996) and are also used for making rosaries (Nielsen and Fortune Hopkins, 1992). Historically, the seeds were used as weight measures for jewellery and goldsmithing, due to their small variation in weight (Benthal, 1946; Burkill, 1966).

In Indonesia and Malaysia, trees are planted for shade in coffee, clove and rubber plantations. It is planted along field borders as a windbreak. In many tropical countries, A. pavonina has been planted as a nitrogen fixing species and as a soil improver. The small leaves break down easily, making the species a good green manure. It is also extensively cultivated as an ornamental for planting along roadsides and in common areas, notably for its red, glossy seeds (Orwa et al., 2009; PROSEA, 2012).