rain tree
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Tweet n. A tropical American tree (Albizia saman), widely planted in warm climates as a landscaping and shade tree for its wide, spreading, even canopy. [Translation of Peruvian Quechua tamya kaspi : tamya, rain + kapsi, wood, stick, tree (the tree being so called because insects feeding on the tree, as well as the nectaries on its leaf stems, secrete large amounts of fluid moistening the earth beneath the tree and sometimes creating a fine rain as it drops; the designation rain tree perhaps becoming popular in English because the continual dampness under the tree allows green vegetation to flourish near the tree when the surroundings are dry, and because its leaves close on overcast days and at night, allowing rain to fall through the dense canopy, and release accumulated water when they open).] |
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