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adansonia

Scientific Name: Adansonia

Family: Bombacaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Adansonia (Baobab)

The term "Baobab" refers to any of the nine tree species within the genus Adansonia. These trees are known for their distinctive appearance and significant ecological and cultural value.

Considerations for Pets

  • Some common names include "dead-rat tree" and "monkey-bread tree," which, while descriptive, could be misleading if consumed.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Adansonia
  • Common Names: Baobab, Boab, Boaboa, Bottle Tree, Upside-Down Tree, Dead-Rat Tree, Monkey-Bread Tree, Cream-of-Tartar Tree.
  • Family: Bombacaceae (historically), now classified under Malvaceae.
  • The genus name Adansonia honors the French naturalist Michel Adanson. The species name digitata means "hand-like."
  • Synonyms/Alternative Scientific Names:
    • Adansonia digitata
    • Adansonia gibbosa (synonym for Adansonia gregorii)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Adansonia digitata is the most widespread species, native to the African continent.
  • Six species are endemic to Madagascar.
  • Adansonia gregorii is found in Australia, specifically in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
  • These trees tolerate a wide range of vegetation types, including scrub, wooded savannah, hot, dry areas, and semiarid regions.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Baobabs are deciduous trees.
  • They are described as long-lived pachycauls.
  • Young baobab seedlings have thin and inconspicuous stems that do not resemble their adult counterparts.
  • Some individual trees, like the "Big Baobab" in South Africa, can reach enormous sizes, with trunk circumferences of up to 47 meters.

Ecological Role

  • Adansonia digitata is pollinated by bats and bushbabies.

Genetic and Cytological Information

  • The chromosome number for some species is 2n = 160.

Quirky Facts

  • One baobab tree in South Africa is so large that it has a bar inside its trunk that can accommodate 60 people.
  • The Baobab is known as Africa's iconic 'upside-down' tree.

Further Information

  • Additional information can be found in the journal Adansonia, available through the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris.