Scintific clssification
Kingdom_Plantae
Order_Malvales
Family_Malvaceae
Genus_Adansonia
Spicies_A.digitata
Deriviation of name and historical aspects
Adansonia >originated from the french botanist called michel Adansonia, who was living in the island of sor senegal since 1748-1754. He was the first person to describe this tree in African continent.
Digitata >derived from the latin word "Digitus" in English means finger, that refer to the hand-shaped leaves of Baobab.
Interesting facts of baobab.
There are numerus number of creatures use Baobab hole or branches for roosting Site year after year. The tree is home to the birds like rollers, parrots, hornbills, and owls, but also some animals like squirrels, bush babies, genets, bats, snake, cats and more.
The Baobab is favorable for Elephant especially during the dry season, an elephant prefer to stripe the barks for sake of geting water and some minerals.
The barks is used to make local open shoose but also the leaves is edible as local vegetable especially Gogo tribe from Dodoma region.
However the tree as known as
The tree of Life >that's refer all parts of plants are usable
Dead rat tree > refer to the apearance of pods
Monkey bread tree >due to the pods be consumed more with Monkey
Upside down tree >because the branches rise up stiffly that resemble roots.
Bottle tree and more
Traditions medicine
For treatment of body pain, the barks decoction is drunk , the infusion from the white pulp is used as a treatment of fever and diarrhoea
African beliefs
Some African tribes use the baobab as an ant-witchcrafts charm and in traditions ceremonies towards off evil sprits.The Gogo tribe from Dodoma region at the previous time was believed that the hole of baobab is haunted by spirits so they were used as a grave site.I got amazing story from Transvaal Zambia,they believe that if the baby born, He will birth in the water of which the barks of the baobab have been soaked inside, they will grow up strong and might like baobab tree.
Favorable area
Baobab tree are centainly comon in Tanzania and usually grow in well-drained soil with a high water table, However in Tanzania, Dodoma is home of that tree
Baobab pods |
Baobab flower |