7,617
edits
Changes
From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to searchno edit summary
{{Redirect|Baobab}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Baobab
| image = Baobob tree.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = African Baobab
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Malvales]]
| familia = [[Malvaceae]]
| genus = ''Adansonia''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}
'''Baobab''' is the common name of a [[genus]] (''Adansonia'') of eight species of [[tree]]s, native to [[Madagascar]] (the centre of diversity, with six species), mainland [[Africa]] and [[Australia]] (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs in Madagascar, but it is not a native of that country. Other common names include '''boab''', '''bottle tree''' and '''monkey bread tree'''. The species reach heights of between 5–25 m (exceptionally 30 m) tall, and up to 7 m (exceptionally 11 m) in trunk diameter. They are noted for storing [[water]] inside the swollen trunk, with the capacity to store up to 120,000 litres of water to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region [http://www.senegal-online.com/anglais/parcs-faune-flore/baobab.htm]. All occur in seasonally [[arid]] areas, and are [[deciduous]], shedding their [[leaf|leaves]] during the dry season. Some are reputed to be many thousands of years old, though as the [[wood]] does not produce annual [[growth ring]]s, this is impossible to verify; few [[botanist]]s give any credence to these claims of extreme age.
The Malagasy species are important components of the [[Madagascar dry deciduous forests]]. Within that [[biome]], ''A. madagascariensis'' and ''A. rubrostipa'' occur specifically in the [[Anjajavy Forest]], sometimes growing out of the [[Karst topography|tsingy]] [[limestone]] itself.
;Species
*''[[Adansonia digitata]]'' – African Baobab (northeastern, central & southern [[Africa]])
*''[[Adansonia grandidieri]]'' – Grandidier's Baobab ([[Madagascar]])
*''[[Boab|Adansonia gregorii]]'' (syn. ''A. gibbosa'') – [[Boab]] or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia)
*''[[Adansonia madagascariensis]]'' – Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia perrieri]]'' – Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia rubrostipa]]'' (syn. ''A. fony'') – Fony Baobab (Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia suarezensis]]'' – Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia za]]'' – Za Baobab (Madagascar)
The name ''Adansonia'' honours [[Michel Adanson]], the [[France|French]] naturalist and explorer who described ''A. digitata''.
===Uses===
[[Image:baobabtre_b3599.jpg|thumb|left|''Adansonia digitata'', Tarangire National Park in Tanzania]]
[[Image:Baobab seeds.jpg|thumb|left|The fruit is about 18 cm long]]
The leaves are also common as a [[leaf vegetable]] throughout the area of mainland African distribution, including [[Malawi]], [[Zimbabwe]], and the [[Sahel]]. They are eaten both fresh and in the form of a dry powder. In Nigeria, the leaves are locally known as '''kuka''', and are used to make kuka soup. The dry pulp of the fruit, after separation from the seeds and fibers, is eaten directly or mixed into [[porridge]] or [[milk]]. The seeds are mostly used as a thickener for [[soup]]s, but may also be [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] into a [[seasoning]], [[roasting|roasted]] for direct consumption, or pounded to extract [[vegetable oil]]. The tree also provides a source of [[fiber|fibre]], [[dye]], and [[fuel]].
The [[Boab]] was used by [[Indigenous Australians]] as a source of water and food; the leaves were used [[medicinal plants|medicinally]]. They also painted and carved the outside of the fruits, and wore them as ornaments. A very large, hollow boab south of [[Derby, Western Australia]] was used in the [[1890s]] as a lockup for Aboriginal prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing. The [[Boab Prison Tree]] still stands and is now a tourist attraction.
===Cultural references===
* The baobab is the [[national tree]] of [[Madagascar]] [http://www.naturallyafrica.org/country/madagascar/guide/guide-national-symbols
.php].
* The baobab is occasionally known colloquially as "upside-down tree" (from the Arabic legend which claims that the devil pulled out the tree and planted it upside down). This is likely derived from older African lore. The story goes that after creation, each of the animals was given a tree to plant and the stupid hyena planted the baobab upside-down!
* In [[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]]'s story ''[[The Little Prince]]'', the Little Prince was worried that baobabs (described as "trees as big as [[church]]es") would grow on his small [[asteroid]], take up all the space and even cause it to explode.
* [[Rafiki]], in ''[[The Lion King]]'', makes his home in a baobab tree.
* Singer [[Regina Spektor]] has a song called ''Baobabs'' that was released on the special edition of "[[Begin To Hope]]" (2006).
* [[Orchestra Baobab]] is a [[Senegal]]ese band.
* Baobabs are also used for [[bonsai]] (the most popular being ''A. digitata'').
* Progressive metal band [[Mouth of the Architect]] have a song on their album ''The Ties That Blind'' entitled "Baobab".
* [[Classical music]] [[composer]] [[Andi Spicer]] wrote a piece for [[percussion]] quartet called ''Baobab''. There is also a version for [[harpsichord]].
* ''Baobab'' is a serialized graphic novel by Igort, an Italian artist, published in the United States by [[Fantagraphics]] [http://www.fantagraphics.com/ignatz/ignatz.html].
* [[Ernst Haeckel]] 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."
==References and external links==
{{Commons|Adansonia digitata}}
* Braun, Karl (1900) ''Beiträge zur Anatomie der Adansonia digitata L.'' F. Reinhardt, Universitäts-Buchdruckerei, Basel, [http://worldcat.org/oclc/15926986 OCLC 15926986]
* 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
* [[Thomas Pakenham|Pakenham, Thomas]] (2004) ''Remarkable Baobab'' Norton, New York, ISBN 0-297-84373-7
* [http://www.baobabs.com/Baobabs_species.htm Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere – Baobab species details]
* [http://www.baobabs.com/Baobabs_photos.htm Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere – Baobab photo gallery]
* [http://www.madainfo.de/baobabs/ Madagascar info: Baobab photo gallery (Malagasy species only)]
* [http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/adansonia.html Baobab: herbal information from ''King's American Dispensatory'']
* [http://www.baobabfruitco.com/Eng/Bibliography.htmL Baobab: Interactive Bibliography]
<gallery>
Image:Baobab Avenue 1.JPG|''[[Adansonia grandidieri]]'' near [[Morondava]] in [[Madagascar]]
Image:Derby boab, Western Australia.jpg|Boab ''[[Adansonia gregorii]]'' in Australia
Image:Baobabamrazorback.jpg|''[[Adansonia madagascariensis]]'' in a [[Madagascar dry deciduous forest]]
Image:SavanurBaobab06052007318.jpg| Species Unknown in [[Savanur]], Dharwad District, Karnataka, India
</gallery>
[[Category:Malvaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Madagascar]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Baobab
| image = Baobob tree.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = African Baobab
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Malvales]]
| familia = [[Malvaceae]]
| genus = ''Adansonia''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}
'''Baobab''' is the common name of a [[genus]] (''Adansonia'') of eight species of [[tree]]s, native to [[Madagascar]] (the centre of diversity, with six species), mainland [[Africa]] and [[Australia]] (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs in Madagascar, but it is not a native of that country. Other common names include '''boab''', '''bottle tree''' and '''monkey bread tree'''. The species reach heights of between 5–25 m (exceptionally 30 m) tall, and up to 7 m (exceptionally 11 m) in trunk diameter. They are noted for storing [[water]] inside the swollen trunk, with the capacity to store up to 120,000 litres of water to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region [http://www.senegal-online.com/anglais/parcs-faune-flore/baobab.htm]. All occur in seasonally [[arid]] areas, and are [[deciduous]], shedding their [[leaf|leaves]] during the dry season. Some are reputed to be many thousands of years old, though as the [[wood]] does not produce annual [[growth ring]]s, this is impossible to verify; few [[botanist]]s give any credence to these claims of extreme age.
The Malagasy species are important components of the [[Madagascar dry deciduous forests]]. Within that [[biome]], ''A. madagascariensis'' and ''A. rubrostipa'' occur specifically in the [[Anjajavy Forest]], sometimes growing out of the [[Karst topography|tsingy]] [[limestone]] itself.
;Species
*''[[Adansonia digitata]]'' – African Baobab (northeastern, central & southern [[Africa]])
*''[[Adansonia grandidieri]]'' – Grandidier's Baobab ([[Madagascar]])
*''[[Boab|Adansonia gregorii]]'' (syn. ''A. gibbosa'') – [[Boab]] or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia)
*''[[Adansonia madagascariensis]]'' – Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia perrieri]]'' – Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia rubrostipa]]'' (syn. ''A. fony'') – Fony Baobab (Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia suarezensis]]'' – Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar)
*''[[Adansonia za]]'' – Za Baobab (Madagascar)
The name ''Adansonia'' honours [[Michel Adanson]], the [[France|French]] naturalist and explorer who described ''A. digitata''.
===Uses===
[[Image:baobabtre_b3599.jpg|thumb|left|''Adansonia digitata'', Tarangire National Park in Tanzania]]
[[Image:Baobab seeds.jpg|thumb|left|The fruit is about 18 cm long]]
The leaves are also common as a [[leaf vegetable]] throughout the area of mainland African distribution, including [[Malawi]], [[Zimbabwe]], and the [[Sahel]]. They are eaten both fresh and in the form of a dry powder. In Nigeria, the leaves are locally known as '''kuka''', and are used to make kuka soup. The dry pulp of the fruit, after separation from the seeds and fibers, is eaten directly or mixed into [[porridge]] or [[milk]]. The seeds are mostly used as a thickener for [[soup]]s, but may also be [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] into a [[seasoning]], [[roasting|roasted]] for direct consumption, or pounded to extract [[vegetable oil]]. The tree also provides a source of [[fiber|fibre]], [[dye]], and [[fuel]].
The [[Boab]] was used by [[Indigenous Australians]] as a source of water and food; the leaves were used [[medicinal plants|medicinally]]. They also painted and carved the outside of the fruits, and wore them as ornaments. A very large, hollow boab south of [[Derby, Western Australia]] was used in the [[1890s]] as a lockup for Aboriginal prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing. The [[Boab Prison Tree]] still stands and is now a tourist attraction.
===Cultural references===
* The baobab is the [[national tree]] of [[Madagascar]] [http://www.naturallyafrica.org/country/madagascar/guide/guide-national-symbols
.php].
* The baobab is occasionally known colloquially as "upside-down tree" (from the Arabic legend which claims that the devil pulled out the tree and planted it upside down). This is likely derived from older African lore. The story goes that after creation, each of the animals was given a tree to plant and the stupid hyena planted the baobab upside-down!
* In [[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]]'s story ''[[The Little Prince]]'', the Little Prince was worried that baobabs (described as "trees as big as [[church]]es") would grow on his small [[asteroid]], take up all the space and even cause it to explode.
* [[Rafiki]], in ''[[The Lion King]]'', makes his home in a baobab tree.
* Singer [[Regina Spektor]] has a song called ''Baobabs'' that was released on the special edition of "[[Begin To Hope]]" (2006).
* [[Orchestra Baobab]] is a [[Senegal]]ese band.
* Baobabs are also used for [[bonsai]] (the most popular being ''A. digitata'').
* Progressive metal band [[Mouth of the Architect]] have a song on their album ''The Ties That Blind'' entitled "Baobab".
* [[Classical music]] [[composer]] [[Andi Spicer]] wrote a piece for [[percussion]] quartet called ''Baobab''. There is also a version for [[harpsichord]].
* ''Baobab'' is a serialized graphic novel by Igort, an Italian artist, published in the United States by [[Fantagraphics]] [http://www.fantagraphics.com/ignatz/ignatz.html].
* [[Ernst Haeckel]] 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."
==References and external links==
{{Commons|Adansonia digitata}}
* Braun, Karl (1900) ''Beiträge zur Anatomie der Adansonia digitata L.'' F. Reinhardt, Universitäts-Buchdruckerei, Basel, [http://worldcat.org/oclc/15926986 OCLC 15926986]
* 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
* [[Thomas Pakenham|Pakenham, Thomas]] (2004) ''Remarkable Baobab'' Norton, New York, ISBN 0-297-84373-7
* [http://www.baobabs.com/Baobabs_species.htm Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere – Baobab species details]
* [http://www.baobabs.com/Baobabs_photos.htm Jardin Botanique et Pepiniere – Baobab photo gallery]
* [http://www.madainfo.de/baobabs/ Madagascar info: Baobab photo gallery (Malagasy species only)]
* [http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/adansonia.html Baobab: herbal information from ''King's American Dispensatory'']
* [http://www.baobabfruitco.com/Eng/Bibliography.htmL Baobab: Interactive Bibliography]
<gallery>
Image:Baobab Avenue 1.JPG|''[[Adansonia grandidieri]]'' near [[Morondava]] in [[Madagascar]]
Image:Derby boab, Western Australia.jpg|Boab ''[[Adansonia gregorii]]'' in Australia
Image:Baobabamrazorback.jpg|''[[Adansonia madagascariensis]]'' in a [[Madagascar dry deciduous forest]]
Image:SavanurBaobab06052007318.jpg| Species Unknown in [[Savanur]], Dharwad District, Karnataka, India
</gallery>
[[Category:Malvaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Madagascar]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Trees of Africa]]
