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Adansonia digitata (view source)

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{{Taxobox
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{{SPlantbox
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| color = lightgreen
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|familia=Bombaceae
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| name = ''Adansonia digitata''
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|genus=Adansonia
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| status = secure
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|species=digitata
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| image = Baobab and elephant, Tanzania .jpg
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|common_name=Baobab
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| image_width = 240px
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|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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| image_caption = Baobab tree in [[Tanzania]]
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|habit=tree
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| regnum = [[Plantae]]
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|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
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|Max ht box=50
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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|Max ht metric=ft
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| ordo = [[Malvales]]
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|height_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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| familia = [[Malvaceae]]
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|Max wd box=90
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| genus = ''[[Baobab|Adansonia]]''
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|Max wd metric=ft
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| species = '''''A. digitata'''''
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|width_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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| binomial = ''Adansonia digitata''
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|lifespan=perennial
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| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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|exposure=sun
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|sun_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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|features=flowers
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|flower_season=early spring, mid spring, late spring, early summer, mid summer, late summer
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|flower_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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|flowers=white
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|Temp Metric=°F
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|min_zone=11
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|usda_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
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|max_zone=12
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|image=Baobab and elephant, Tanzania .jpg
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|image_width=240
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|image_caption=Baobab tree in Tanzania
 
}}
 
}}
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'''''Adansonia digitata''''', the '''baobab''', is the most widespread of the ''[[Adansonia]]'' species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry [[savanna]]hs of [[sub-Saharan Africa]].  It also grows, having spread secondary to cultivation, in populated areas.  The northern limit of its distribution in Africa is associated with rainfall patterns; only on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast and in the [[Sudan]] does its occurrence venture naturally into the [[Sahel]]. On the Atlantic coast this may be due to spreading after cultivation.  Its occurrence is very limited in [[Central Africa]] and it is found only in the very north of [[Southern Africa]]. In [[Eastern Africa]] the trees grow also in [[Scrubland|shrublands]] and on the coast.  In [[Angola]] and [[Namibia]] the baobabs grow in woodlands, and in coastal regions, in addition to savannahs. Also found in [[Dhofar]] region of [[Oman]] and [[Yemen]] in the [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[Asia]]. This tree was found recently in India in the states of [[Andhra Pradesh]] (although this claim is disputed)<ref>{{cite web|title=[http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mysterious-tree.shtml Mysterious carved tree hoax]|accessdate=2010-06-04}}</ref> and in [[Karnataka]] <ref name="Deccannews">{{cite web|title=[http://www.deccanherald.com/content/72901/rare-endangered-tree-found-belgaum.html Rare,endangered tree found in Belgaum district]|publisher= Deccan Herald|date=2010-06-01|accessdate=2010-06-04}}</ref>
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'''''Adansonia digitata''''', the '''baobab''', is the most widespread of the ''[[Adansonia]]'' species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry regions of [[sub-Saharan Africa]]. Other members of the genus are found in [[Australia]] and [[Madagascar]]. Some large individuals live to well over a thousand years of age. The tree bears large, heavy white flowers. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread.
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The trees usually grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive trees on the [[savannah]], in the [[scrubland|scrub]], and near settled areas, with some large individuals living to well over a thousand years of age.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Varmah |first= J. C. |last2= Vaid |first2= K. M. |title=  Baobab - the historic African tree at Allahbad |journal= Indian Forester |volume= 104 |issue= 7 |year= 1978 |pages= 461–464}}</ref>
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The tree bears very large, heavy white flowers. The showy flowers are pendulous with a very large number of stamens. They carry a [[carrion]] scent and researchers have shown they appear to be primarily pollinated by [[fruit bat]]s of the subfamily [[Pteropodinae]]. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread.<ref>{{cite book |authorlink= |author=National Research Council |editor= |others= |title=Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III: Fruits |origdate= |url=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11879 |format= |accessdate=July 15, 2008 |edition= |series=Lost Crops of Africa |volume=3 |date=January 25, 2008 |publisher=[[National Academies Press]] |location= |isbn=978-0-309-10596-5 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter=Baobab |chapterurl=http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11879&page=41 |quote= |ref= }}</ref>
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The specific epithet ''digitata'' refers to the fingers of a hand, which the five leaflets (typically) in each cluster bring to mind.
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{{Inc|
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[[Adansonia]] digitata, Linn. Baobab Tree. Height not more than 60 ft.: diam. said to be sometimes 30 ft. or more and to have the thickest trunk of any tree in the world: lvs. palmate, with 3 lfts. in young plants, and 5-7 in older ones: fls. 6 in. across, with purplish anthers, on long axillary, solitary peduncles; stigma 7-10-rayed in full anthesis. Afr.—Rarely cult, in extreme S. Fla., where fr. is 9-12 in. long, and called "monkey's bread." Figs. 118 and 119 are from specimens growing in the American tropics. The fl. opens wide, something like a spreading hibiscus, and the petals soon roll back and wither. The tree is very thick-boled, and the wood is soft and light. The tree is supposed to attain to vast age. The fr. of the baobab is a gourd-like structure, of which the pulp is said sometimes to be eaten and the juice used for the making of a beverage. The bark produces a very strong fiber.{{SCH}}
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}}
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== Vernacular names ==
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==Cultivation==
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''Adansonia digitata'' is known by many names, the most common of which is '''baobab'''. It is also known as the 'dead-rat tree' (from the appearance of the fruits), 'monkey-bread tree' (the soft, dry fruit is edible), 'upside-down tree' (the sparse branches resemble roots) and cream of tartar tree. In French, it is known as calebassier du Sénégal and arbre de mille ans; in Portuguese as molambeira, imbondeiro, calabaceira and cabacevre; and in Swahili as mbuyu, mkuu hapingwa, mkuu hafungwa and muuyu.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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== References and external links ==
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===Propagation===
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{{Reflist}}
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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{{commons|Adansonia digitata}}
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{{wikispecies|Adansonia digitata}}
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===Pests and diseases===
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* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm Description and cultural information]
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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* [http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/malvaceae/adansonia_digitata.htm Structured description]
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* Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2005). ''Food Plants of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-743-0
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==Species==
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* Baum, David A.; Small Randall L. and Wendel, Jonathan F. (1998) "Biogeography and floral evolution of baobabs (Adansonia, Bombacaceae) as inferred from multiple data sets" ''Systematic Biology'' 47(2): pp. 181-207
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<!-- This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc    -->
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*[http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Adansonia+digitata&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Adansonia digitata'']
      
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
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Image:thos baines00.jpg|<center>Baobab Tree by [[Thomas Baines]]</center>
 
Image:thos baines00.jpg|<center>Baobab Tree by [[Thomas Baines]]</center>
 
Image:Adansonia digitata 20050823 flower.gif|<center>Baobab flower</center>
 
Image:Adansonia digitata 20050823 flower.gif|<center>Baobab flower</center>
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File:Adansonia digitata (Baobab Tree) in Hyderabad W IMG 8271.jpg|Each leaf comprises five leaflets.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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[[Category:Malvaceae]]
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==References==
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[[Category:Flora of South Africa]]
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
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