Adansonia za
Encyclopedia
Adansonia za, common name Baobab, is a species of flowering plant
in the genus Adansonia
belonging to the Malvaceae
family.
family. Fruits are usually ovoid with a markedly thickened peduncle. They contain kidney-shaped, laterally flattened seeds. The seeds have an oil content of 11 percent.
, where it is threatened by habitat loss.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the genus Adansonia
Adansonia
Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....
belonging to the Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
family.
Description
Adansonia za is a large thick-stemmed (pachycaul) deciduous tree, about 10–40 m (32.8–131.2 ) high and about 6 metres (19.7 ft) in diameter. The trunk and branches have a brownish-rose colored hue. The tree is wide at the base and grows to a narrow point towards the top of the tree. Leaves are palmately lobed with up to 5 lobes per leaf. They are 5 to 10 centimeters long and 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide and the leaf margin is entire. The flower buds are long green cylinders which can resemble oversized beans and could be mistaken for a fruit. The bud opens with the curling back of the outside layer of the flower bud, revealing yellow and red petals with yellowish long stamens. The corolla is 15 to 20 centimeters long and 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters wide. Petals are 10 to 20 centimeters long and 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters wide. The flowers are musty-sweet scented. Flowering period extends from November to February. Flowers are usually pollinated by moths of the SphingidaeSphingidae
Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...
family. Fruits are usually ovoid with a markedly thickened peduncle. They contain kidney-shaped, laterally flattened seeds. The seeds have an oil content of 11 percent.
Distribution
Adansonia za is endemic to Southern and North-Western MadagascarMadagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, where it is threatened by habitat loss.