There are 8 species of Adansonia of which 6 are endemic to
Madagascar. This link is the result of long hours of
compilation of information on Adansonia. It is only a kind service to our visitors who will appreciate our
efforts to provide as much info as possible.
Baobabs are curious looking trees, characterized by massive,
often grotesque swollen trunks and branches. In Madagascar baobabs are
widespread on the western slopes of Madagascar, particularly numerous in
south-west.
The biology of the Madagascar baobabs is poorly known. Most of
the studies were made in the fifties by Perrier de la Bathie and in the nineties
by Baum.
Systematics
Small to large trees with
massive trunks, cylindrical, bottle-shaped or irregularly gnarled. Baobabs are
very distinctive and there is little chance of ever mistaking any other tree for
a baobab. The bark is smooth, the wood if fibrous with a high water content.
Leaves are produced only during the wet season, starting as early as late
October and persisting until approximately April. The adult leaves are
digitately compound. There are usually 5-11 leaflets whose margins are entire in
all species except Adansonia rubrostipa in which they are
serrate. All species set fruits in the late dry season or early wet season.
Flowers are large and sturdy and produce nectar only one night. The fruit is a
dry berry or an indehiscent capsule. The seeds are numerous, large, kidney
shaped and have a very thick testa. Enveloping the seeds is a cream-colored pulp
or tartar, the texture of which varies from chalky to spongy depending on the
species and the age of the fruit. The length of viability of Adansonia
seeds is unknown but exceeds five years. Germination percentages are usually
less than 10%. The section Longitubae and Adansonia produce seedlings with a
long hypocotyl that rises the two cotyledons high above the soil-level. In
contrast, the Brevitubae produce seedlings in which the cotyledons, while
greening slightly, remain at soil level partially enclosed in the testa, and it
is the epicotyl that carries the first leaves above the soil. In all species the
first true leave is simple and the progression to compound leaves occurs via
trifoliate and variously lobed intermediates. In some species the juvenile
leaves have marginal teeth which are absent from adult leaves.
Adansonia digitata. Semiarid
continental Africa. Introduced to Madagascar probably by the Arabs traders.
Initially mentioned by Linnaeus in Systema Naturae, 1759. Deciduous tree
reaching 25 m in height and up to 10 m in diam., with rounded crowns and single
or multiple trunks. Leave 5-7(-9) foliolate; leaflets sessile to subsessile,
varying greatly in size. Margins entire. Fruit variable, globose to ovoid or
oblong-cylindrical. Seeds reniform, laterally flattened.
Adansonia gibbosa.
Discovered
by Cunningham in 1827. Rocky outcrops, creek beds, and flood plains in
northwestern Australia (restricted to the Kimberley region and the Victoria
river area). Small irregularly shaped, deciduous trees (rarely over 10 m) often
with multiple trunks. Crown irregular. Leaves 5-9-foliolate; leaflets
subsessile, elliptic or lanceolate with acute apices. Fruit globose to ovoid.
Seeds reniform, laterally flattened. Leaves November to March.
Adansonia grandidieri. First time described in 1893
by Baillon. Madagascar. Large trees, with cylindrical trunks and flat- topped
crowns. Bark reddish-gray. Fruit with a thin fragile pericarp. Seeds not
laterally flattened. Cotyledons at ground level. 6-9 leaflets, densely
tomentose, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate. Fruit subglobose to broadly ovoid,
usually less than 2 times as long as wide. Leaflets shortly petiolate with
entire margins. Seeds reniform, not markedly laterally flattened. Known locally
as "renala" or "reniala" ("mother of the forest"). The most widely exploited of
all Malagasy baobabs. The fruit pulp and seeds are eaten fresh, and cooking oil
is extracted from the seeds. in some villages near Morondava, the fruits are fed
to goats, who digest the pulp but pass the seeds intact. These are then
collected and used for oil-extraction. In the full-grown tree, the bark is 10-15
cm thick, and composed of tough longitudinal fibers that are used to make ropes.
The wood is spongy and moisture-rich, comprising of concentric sheets of fiber
that probably correspond to annual growth rings. A majority of Adansonia
grandidieri shows signs of having been used as a source of fiber for
rope-making. The bark is cut off a living tree from ground level to about 2 m.
Although the scar persists, bark regenerate over the damaged tissue. a.
grandidieri is the focus of superstitions and folklore. Individual trees are
often considered the dwelling of spirits. Offerings are made at the foot of
these trees: grains, or other food items for a good harvest, money for fortune,
and rum for general prayers and fertility. giant land snail shells arranged at
the foot of a tree (repositories for rum offerings) indicate its sacred
status.
Adansonia madagascariensis. Described
initially by Baillon in 1876. Northwestern to northern Madagascar. In the
vicinity of Antsiranana it often grows within meters of the sea. Leaves 5-7
foliolate; leaflets subsessile with winged petioles. 8-10 pairs of secondary
veins. Fruit globose to subglobose, usually wider than long. Flowering February
to April. Leaves present November to April. A. madagascariensis and A. za are
very similar but are easily distinguished, especially in areas of sympatry by
flower structure, flowering period and fruit morphology. The swollen roots of
young seedlings are edible and reportedly make an excellent vegetable.
Adansonia suaresensis.
Initially described by Diego-Suarez in 1893. Madagascar. Large
deciduous trees up to 25 m and 2 m diameter. Trunk cylindrical, crowns
flat-topped. Bark grayish brown and smooth with a yellowish green layer beneath
the surface. Leaves 6-9 foliolate, petioles 12-15 cm, margin entire. Leaflets
6-11, yellowish green, subglabrous, broadly elliptic. Fruit elongated, ovoid to
oblong-cylindrical, usually more than 2 times as long as wide. Restricted
distribution in northern Madagascar. The common name of A. suarezensis is
"bozy", the name used for all northern Malagasy baobabs. At the current rate of
destruction A. suarezensis is likely to be ecologically extinct within the next
decade or two.
Adansonia perrieri. Recently described
species (1960). Northern Madagascar. Medium to tall trees with cylindrical
trunks and irregular crowns. Leaves 5-11-foliolate. Leaflets with entire
margins, obovate to obovate-elliptic, petiolate or subsessile, medial leaflets
greater than 2 cm wide. Fruit broadly ovoid or oblong. Seeds reniform, laterally
flattened. Known from only five sites in northern Madagascar, each population
with only few individuals. Flowering November to December, leaves through wet
season (November to April). In view of its rarity A. perrieri is perhaps the
most endangered Malagasy baobab.
Adansonia rubrostipa. The earliest description of Adansonia rubrostipa was
by Baillon (1890) who gave it the name A. fony. Deciduous forests on
sand or limestone; dry "spiny" forest or sublittoral scrub in western and
southern Madagascar. Small to large deciduous trees (5-20 m) with cylindrical,
bottle-shaped trunks, with a distinct constriction beneath branches. Bark
reddish-brown. Leaves (3-) 5-foliolate; leaflets sessile, elliptic with acute
apices. Leaflets with serrate margins, less than 2 cm wide. Fruit ± globose.
Seeds reniform and laterally flattened. A. rubrostipa has edible
fruits, seeds and roots. A. rubrostipa is the dominant tree species in
the western deciduous forests and provides an important resource for lemurs
(nectar, gum, insects) and insects( sap, nectar leaves, seeds, and
pollen).
Adansonia za. Widespread from extreme southern to northwestern Madagascar.
Variable species. Cylindrical trunk, often with irregular swellings. Leaves 5-8
-foliolate. Leaflets long petiolate (up to 3 cm) to sessile, 10-20 pairs of
secondary veins. Fruit usually ovoid with a marked thickened peduncle, or
broadly oblong to subglobose with normal pedicel. Flowering November to
February. Seeds distinctly reniform and laterally flattened. Little is known
about the human exploitation of Adansonia za. Seeds are eaten and the
trunk is sometimes hollowed out as a cistern for storing
water.
