| Abstract |
Albizia julibrissin, native to Asia, has been widely introduced to and cultivated in both America and Europe. Well-preserved fossil leaflets recovered from late Miocene deposits in Huaning, southwest China, exhibit distinctive characteristics consistent with those of extant A. julibrissin. These include: (1) falcate or oblong leaflets with the midvein positioned adjacent to the upper margin, (2) distinctive trichome bases on the lower epidermis, (3) straight to moderately undulate anticlinal cell walls, and (4) anomocytic stomatal complexes. However, because of the smaller size of the epidermal cells observed in the fossil leaflets, these specimens have been reclassified as Albizia cf. julibrissin Durazz. These fossils show that ancestors of A. julibrissin were already present in southwest China during or before the warm late Miocene. During the late Neogene, A. julibrissin spread widely despite prevailing global cooling trends. In contrast, contemporary climate projections suggest that a warming of 1.5 °C by 2100 could lead to a substantial contraction of the suitable range for this warm-adapted Miocene species in the coming decades. This reduction is expected to occur despite efforts in artificial cultivation and human-assisted dispersal.
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