Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don

 
  • Family : MIMOSACEAE
    (Pea Or Bean Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : BABOOL FAMILY (बबूल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Fabaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Inga biglobosa (Jacq.) Willd.; Mimosa biglobosa Jacq.; Parkia africana R.Br.; Inga faeculifera Ham.; Inga faroba Mérat & Lens; Inga senegalensis DC.; Mimosa taxifolia Pers.; Parkia clappertoniana Keay; Parkia filicoidea var. glauca Baker f.; Parkia intermedia Oliv.; Parkia oliveri J.F.Macbr.; Parkia uniglobosa G.Don; Prosopis faeculifera Desv.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don
  • Common name : African locust bean, Red ball tree
  • Vernacular name :
    • Sivappu pandhu kaai maram (Tamil)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : Perennial deciduous tree, typically 7–20 m tall, but can reach up to 30 m under optimal conditions; Crown large, spreading, low branching on a stout bole; Bark dark grey-brown, thick, fissured, amber gum exudes from wounds; Leaves alternate, bipinnate, up to 30 cm long, pinnae upto 17 pairs, each pinna with 13–60 pairs of small leaflets, leaflets 8-30mm long, 1.5-8mm wide, with distinctive shape and venation, arranged along a long rachis; Inflorescence pendulous head, biglobose, 4.5-7cm long, 3.5-6cm diameter, peduncles 10-35cm long; Hermaphrodite flowers orange or red in colour: calyx 10-13 (16 max.) mm, corolla 10-14 (17 max.)mm long, lobes very short 1-3 mm long, connate in the middle and free or connate at base, filaments exserted about 4 mm beyond calyx mouth; Nectar-secreting flowers: calyx about 6-7 mm long; Staminodial flowers: calyx about 5.5-7 mm long, filaments exserted 2-3 mm beyond calyx mouth; Fruit pod, straight, flat, pink-brown to dark brown when mature, up to 45 cm long, 2 cm wide.
  • Flower, Fruit : December-March
  • Distribution :
    • Tamil Nadu : Dindigul district, The Nilgiri district
  • Native : Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Islands, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : W. Tropical Africa to South Sudan
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Parkia biglobosa
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Parkia biglobosa. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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