Baobab

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Baobab

Baobab is the common name of a genus

Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
(Adansonia) containing eight species of tree

TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
s, native to Madagascar

Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
(having six species), mainland Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
and Australia

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
(one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that country.

Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree.

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Encyclopedia

Baobab is the common name of a genus

Genus

TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
s, native to Madagascar

Madagascar

Africa

Australia

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
, often considered the largest example alive, has a circumference

Circumference

The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. Circumference is a kind of perimeter....
of and an average diameter of .

Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood

Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
does not produce annual growth rings, though radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating, or carbon dating, is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years....
may be able to provide age data.

The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests

Madagascar dry deciduous forests

The Madagascar dry deciduous forests represent a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion generally situated in the western part of Madagascar....
. Within that biome

Biome

Biomes are Climateally and geographically defined areas of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as Community of plants, animals, and Soil biology, and are often referred to as ecosystems....
, A. madagascariensis and A. rubrostipa occur specifically in the Anjajavy Forest

Anjajavy Forest

Anjajavy Forest is an element of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests situated on the Indian Ocean of northwest Madagascar. The Anjajavy Forest surrounds the village of Anjajavy and provides the habitat for many rare species and endangered species....
, sometimes growing out of the tsingy

Karst topography

Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the Solvation of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite....
limestone

Limestone

File:Limestone Formation In Waitomo.jpgLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geology record....
itself.

Beginning in 2008, there has been increasing interest for developing baobab as a nutrient

Nutrient

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment....
-rich raw material for consumer products.

Species

Adansonia digitata
Adansonia digitata

Adansonia digitata, the baobab, is the most widespread of the Adansonia species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa....
– African Baobab (western, northeastern, central & southern Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
)
Adansonia grandidieri
Adansonia grandidieri

Adansonia grandidieri , the grandest and most famous of Madagascar?s six baobabs, is an endangered species in the genus Adansonia. It is endemism to Madagascar....
– Grandidier's Baobab (Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
)
Adansonia gregorii (syn. A. gibbosa) – Boab or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia)
Adansonia madagascariensis
Adansonia madagascariensis

Adansonia madagascariensis is one of six species of baobab endemic to Madagascar, where it occurs in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests....
– Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar)
Adansonia perrieri
Adansonia perrieri

Adansonia perrieri is an endangered species in the genus Adansonia. This species is endemism to Madagascar....
– Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar)
Adansonia rubrostipa
Adansonia rubrostipa

Adansonia rubrostipa, commonly known as Fony Baobab is one of the eight species within the baobab genus, within the family Malvaceae. This tree is Endemism to western Madagascar and occurs in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests....
(syn. A. fony) – Fony Baobab (Madagascar)
Adansonia suarezensis
Adansonia suarezensis

Adansonia suarezensis is an endangered species in the genus Adansonia. It is endemism to Madagascar....
– Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar)
Adansonia za
Adansonia za

Adansonia za is a species of flowering plant in the genus Adansonia. It is endemism to Madagascar, where it is threatened by habitat loss....
– Za Baobab (Madagascar)

The name Adansonia honours Michel Adanson

Michel Adanson

Michel Adanson was a France natural history of Scotland descent.Adanson was born at Aix-en-Provence. His family moved to Paris on 1730. After leaving the College Sainte Barbe he was employed in the cabinets of Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur and Bernard de Jussieu, as well as in the Jardin des Plantes....
, the French

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
naturalist and explorer who described A. digitata.

Water storage

Baobabs store water

Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
inside the swollen trunk (up to ) to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region. All occur in seasonally arid

Arid

A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the Individual growth and Morphogenesis of plant and animal life....
areas, and are deciduous

Deciduous

Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe....
, shedding their leaves

Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
during the dry season.

Uses

The leaves are commonly used as a leaf vegetable

Leaf vegetable

Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaf eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender Petiole s and shoots....
throughout the area of mainland African distribution, including Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west....
, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
, and the Sahel

Sahel

File:Sahel Map-Africa rough.pngFile:AT0713 map.pngThe Sahel or Sahel Belt is a semi-arid tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in Africa, which forms the transition between the Sahara to the north and the slightly less arid savanna belt to the south, known as the Sudan ....
. They are eaten both fresh and as a dry powder. In Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federation constitutional republic comprising States of Nigeria and one Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria....
, the leaves are locally known as kuka, and are used to make kuka soup.

The fruit is nutritious possibly having more vitamin C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, a large number of simian species, a small number of other mammalian species , a few species of birds, and some fish....
than orange

Orange (fruit)

An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine ....
s and exceeding the calcium

Calcium

Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the earth's Crust ....
content of cow's milk. Also known as "sour gourd" or "monkey's bread", the dry fruit pulp separated from seeds and fibers is eaten directly or mixed into porridge

Porridge

Porridge, or porage, is a simple dish made by boiling oats or another cereal in water, milk, or both. It is eaten in a flat bowl or a dish....
or milk

Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
. In Malawi, the fruit pulp is used to make a nutrient-rich juice.

The fruit was once used in the production of tartar sauce

Tartar sauce

Tartare sauce is a thick white sauce made from mayonnaise and finely chopped pickled cucumber, capers, onions , and fresh parsley. Chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives, and horseradish are sometimes added, and dijon Mustard is often used as an Emulsion....
. In various parts of East Africa, the dry fruit pulp is covered in sugary coating (usually with red coloring) and sold in packages as a sweet and sour candy called "boonya" or "bungha".

The seeds are mostly used as a thickener for soup

Soup

Soup is a food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables in Stock or hot/boiling water, until the flavor is extracted, forming a broth....
s, but may also be fermented

Fermentation (food)

Fermentation in food processing typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast under anaerobic conditions. A more general definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids....
into a seasoning

Seasoning

Seasoning is the process of imparting flavor to, or improving the flavor of, food. Seasonings include herbs, spices, and all other condiments, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings"....
, roasted

Roasting

Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat, whether an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting usually causes caramelization or Maillard reaction of the surface of the food, which is considered a flavour enhancement....
for direct consumption, or pounded to extract vegetable oil. The tree also provides a source of fiber

Fiber

Fiber or fibre is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of yarn. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissue s together....
, dye

Dye

A dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an Chemical affinity to the Wiktionary:substrate to which it is being applied....
, and fuel

Fuel

Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy and to heat or to move an object. Fuel releases its energy either through a chemical reaction means, such as combustion, or nuclear means, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion....
.

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are the first human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands and their descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Australian Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's population....
used baobabs as a source of water and food, and used leaves medicinally. They also painted and carved the outside of the fruits and wore them as ornaments. A very large, hollow baobab south of Derby, Western Australia

Derby, Western Australia

Derby is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia of Western Australia. At the 2006 Census in Australia, Derby had a population of 3,093....
was used in the 1890s as a prison for Aboriginal convicts on their way to Derby for sentencing. The Boab Prison Tree

Boab Prison Tree

The Boab Prison Tree is a large hollow Adansonia gregorii tree just south of Derby, Western Australia. It is reputed to have been used in the 1890s as a lockup for Indigenous Australian prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing....
still stands and is now a tourist attraction.

The whole fruit of the baobab is not available in the EU

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
as current EU legislations from 1997 dictate that foods not commonly consumed in the EU have to be formally approved before going on sale. On 15 July 2008, the EU approved parts of the fruit for use in smoothies and cereal bars. Traditional uses of the whole fruit are unlikely outside of Africa as the fruit will be processed for export as a white powder with a cheese-like texture to be used as an ingredient in products.

Culture and myths

The national tree of Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
.
Used for bonsai
Bonsai

Bonsai 'Bonsai' is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai . The word bonsai is used in the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots....
(the most popular being A. digitata).
Known colloquially as "upside-down tree", it is cited in African lore: after creation, each of the animals was given a tree to plant and the hyena
Hyena

The Hyaenidae is a mammalian family of order Carnivora. The Hyaenidae family, native to both African and Asian continents consists of four living species, the Striped Hyena and Brown Hyena , the Spotted Hyena and the Aardwolf ....
planted the baobab upside-down.
Tabaldi is the name of the Baobab tree in Sudan and its fruit is Gongalis. Baobab's trunk is used as a tank to store water. People in west Sudan use the hollow in the trunk to save water in the rain season. Gongalis is used to make juice or use to cure stomach and other diseases.
Bark may have been used hundreds of years ago in Africa as a backscratcher or toothbrush.
Having a distinctive foul smell, tree parts may have been used by primitive tribes to ward off evil spirits, making the tree known in African folklore as "God's Thumb."
Rafiki
Rafiki

Rafiki is an anthropomorphism monkey who first appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures animated film The Lion King. He lives in a baobab tree and is old and wise....
, in The Lion King
The Lion King

The Lion King is a American Animation film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, released in theaters on June 15, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures....
, makes his home in a baobab tree.
Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Haeckel

'Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel' ,also written 'von Haeckel', was an eminent Germany biologist, natural history, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including phylum, ph...
mentions "monkey bread-fruit trees (Adansonia)" in his The History of Creation (Chap. 29), and claims that their "individual life exceeds a period of five thousand years".
The owners of Sunland Farm in Limpopo
Limpopo

Limpopo is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly called Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of the Transvaal province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal....
, South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
have built a pub called "The Big Baobab Pub" inside the hollow trunk of a high baobab. The tree, which is 47m (155ft) in circumference, is reported to have been carbon dated at over 6,000 years old.
Baobabs are cited in the The Little Prince
The Little Prince

The Little Prince , published in 1943, is France aviator Antoine de Saint-Exup?ry's most famous novel. He wrote it in the United States while renting The Bevin House in Asharoken, New York, on Long Island....
as a tree that may "split" a small planet into pieces.

External links

Braun, K. (1900) Beiträge zur Anatomie der Adansonia digitata L. F. Reinhardt, Universitäts-Buchdruckerei, Basel,
Baum, D. A., Small, R. L., & Wendel, J. F. (1998). Biogeography and floral evolution of baobabs (Adansonia, Bombacaceae) as inferred from multiple data sets. Systematic Biology 47 (2): 181-207.
Pakenham, T.
Thomas Pakenham

Thomas Francis Dermot Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford, born 14 August 1933, known simply as Thomas Pakenham, is an Anglo-Irish historian and arborist who has written several prize-winning books on the diverse subjects of Victorian era and post-Victorian British history and trees....
(2004). Remarkable Baobab. Norton, New York, ISBN 0-297-84373-7
Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere:
Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere:
Madagascar info:
King's American Dispensatory:

Baobab

Species

Water storage

Uses

Culture and myths

External links

Gallery

Further reading