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Baobab
tree (Adansonia digitata) is a member of the Bombacaceae
family. It was named after the French naturalist and
explorer Michel Adanson, who described Adansonia digitata
in Senegal in 1750.
Other names for the Baobab
include Cream of Tartar tree (which can be made from
the seeds),
the sour gourd tree, the monkey-bread tree
(because they eat the seed pods) and lemonade tree
(because of a drink that can be made from the sap).
In Afrikaans it is called kremetartboom; in isiZulu
the isiMuku, umShimulu or isiMuhu; in Tsonga the ximuwu;
in Setswana the mowana, and in Venda the muvhuyu.
The baobab tree has an
enormous barrel-like trunk which may reach a
diameter of 9m and a height of 18m. It is also one
of the longest lived trees in the world;
radio-carbon dating has measured ages of over 2,000
years.
 The
baobab is leafless for nine months of the year. Strong fibres from the bark
are
used for making rope and cloth. The leaves
are about 12cm long and have three to seven glossy
leaflets. It produces large sweet-scented white
flowers suspended on long stalks facing downward.
The flowers open at night and are pollinated by
fruit bats. The 10cm diameter gourd-like fruit
have a tough velvety exterior and contain a mealy, acidic
pulp and about 30 seeds.
Lekker
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When bare of leaves, the spreading branches
of the baobab look like roots sticking up
into the air, rather as if it had been
planted upside-down.
The African bushman has
a legend that tells of the god Thora. He
took a dislike to the baobab growing in his garden,
so he threw it out over the wall of Paradise on to
Earth below, and although the tree landed
upside-down it continued to grow.
Another legend describes
what happens if you are never satisfied with
what you already have;
"The baobab was among the first trees to
appear on the land. Next came the slender,
graceful palm tree. When the baobab saw the
palm tree, it cried out that it wanted to be
taller. Then the beautiful flame tree
appeared with its red flower and the baobab
was envious for flower blossoms. When the
baobab saw the magnificent fig tree, it
prayed for fruit as well. The gods became
angry with the tree and pulled it up by its
roots, replanting it upside down to keep
it quiet."
Baobabs are very difficult to kill, they can
be burnt, or stripped of their bark, and
they will just form new bark and carry on
growing. When they do die, they simply rot
from the inside and suddenly collapse,
leaving a heap of fibres, which makes many
people think that they don't die at all, but
simply disappear.
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