Melia azedarach - Persian Lilac

Persian Lilac (Chinaberry, Bead Tree, "zanzalacht" in Arabic)
Melia azedarach

When approaching campus from gate 5 you will see rather bare looking trees with white painted trunks lining the fence on either side. I must confess that even I do not find them very aesthetically attractive right now.

Yet I am attracted to these trees and follow them closely. The clusters of dry fruits hanging in the top of the bare branches are typical for this time of the year. These yellowish drupes, which currently resemble very dry and crumpled lemons, have been on the trees for a few months, and will remain there until the next bloom. The new leaves and the showy clusters of small lilac flowers will emerge around March.

The Persian Lilac or Chinaberry is mainly grown for its ornamental value. The tree has further important properties. It is fast growing and, like the other members of the mahogany family, produces timber of high quality. The fruits, seeds, and bark have been used in folk medicine against a variety of ailments but are poisonous if eaten in high quantity. Several active substances have been isolated from these toxins. Some have been shown to have antibacterial properties, are effective against tapeworms, and have been used successfully against pest insects in agriculture.

Remember the "aliens" I met on campus last month as they were reading the caravan? I got it all wrong. They were locals: DDC gardeners planting trees. Something else was alien though. The gardeners were planting the Persian Lilac, an invasive alien species native to South Asia and Australia. The tree is planted in many countries of the world where it has spread and invaded natural habitats. It is for example invasive in the Everglades in Florida and other regions of the Americas. It has been naturalized in our region, but is luckily not considered invasive in Egypt. The seeds are dispersed widely by birds and bats that feed on the fruit. Look close if you want to catch the budding leaves and flowers, and keep your eyes open for the birds and bats, which you might see and hear in the early morning hours or in the evening.

References about Melia azeradach

• Danin, A (2000). The inclusion of adventive plants in the second edition of Flora Palaestina. Willdenowia 30:305-314.
• El-Hadidi, N and Boulos, L (1988). The Street Trees of Egypt: 58-59. AUC Press, Cairo.
• Langeland, KA and Burks, KC (eds.) (2005). Melia azedarach. In: Identification and Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas: 96-97. University of Florida, IFAS Distribution, Gainesville, (FLEPPC Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council). http://www.fleppc.org/ID_book/melia%20azederach.pdf

References about invasive alien species.

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2008) Invasive Alien Species. http://www.cbd.int/invasive/ (version of 25. Nov 2008).
  
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2009). Egypt. In: Invasive Tree Species Database.http://www.fao.org/forestry/27179/en/egy/ (version 16 October, 2008).