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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Adansonia digitata''
| status = secure
| image = Baobab and elephant, Tanzania .jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Baobab tree in [[Tanzania]]
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Malvales]]
| familia = [[Malvaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Baobab|Adansonia]]''
| species = '''''A. digitata'''''
| binomial = ''Adansonia digitata''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''''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.
The specific epithet ''digitata'' refers to the fingers of a hand, which the five leaflets (typically) in each cluster bring to mind.
== Vernacular names ==
''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>
== References and external links ==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons|Adansonia digitata}}
{{wikispecies|Adansonia digitata}}
* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm Description and cultural information]
* [http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/malvaceae/adansonia_digitata.htm Structured description]
* Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2005). ''Food Plants of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-743-0
* 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
*[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>
Image:Baobab seeds.jpg|<center>The fruit can be up to 25 cm long and can be used to make a drink</center>
Image:Adansoniadigitataleavesandfruit.jpg|<center>Leaves and fruit of ''Adansonia digitata''</center>
Image:thos baines00.jpg|<center>Baobab Tree by [[Thomas Baines]]</center>
Image:Adansonia digitata 20050823 flower.gif|<center>Baobab flower</center>
</gallery>
[[Category:Malvaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of South Africa]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Adansonia digitata''
| status = secure
| image = Baobab and elephant, Tanzania .jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Baobab tree in [[Tanzania]]
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Malvales]]
| familia = [[Malvaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Baobab|Adansonia]]''
| species = '''''A. digitata'''''
| binomial = ''Adansonia digitata''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''''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.
The specific epithet ''digitata'' refers to the fingers of a hand, which the five leaflets (typically) in each cluster bring to mind.
== Vernacular names ==
''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>
== References and external links ==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons|Adansonia digitata}}
{{wikispecies|Adansonia digitata}}
* [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantab/adansondigit.htm Description and cultural information]
* [http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/malvaceae/adansonia_digitata.htm Structured description]
* Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2005). ''Food Plants of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-743-0
* 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
*[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>
Image:Baobab seeds.jpg|<center>The fruit can be up to 25 cm long and can be used to make a drink</center>
Image:Adansoniadigitataleavesandfruit.jpg|<center>Leaves and fruit of ''Adansonia digitata''</center>
Image:thos baines00.jpg|<center>Baobab Tree by [[Thomas Baines]]</center>
Image:Adansonia digitata 20050823 flower.gif|<center>Baobab flower</center>
</gallery>
[[Category:Malvaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of South Africa]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
