The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar
Botanical name:
Adansonia digitata L.
- [ (ad-an-SOH-nee-uh) named for Michel Adanson, 18th century French surgeon, botanist and naturalist; (dig-ee-TAH-tuh) or (dij-ee-TAH-tuh) meaning finger ]
Synonyms:
Adansonia baobab,
Adansonia situla,
Adansonia somalensis,
Adansonia sphaerocarpa,
Adansonia sulcata
Family:
Bombacaceae (baobab family)
Common names of
Adansonia digitata:
Afrikaans: kremetart •
Danish: Abebrødstræ, Baobab •
Dutch: Apebroodboom (South Africa), Kremetartboom •
English: african baobab, baobab, baobab of mahajanga (Madagascar), bottle tree, cream of tartar tree, dead-rat tree (South Africa), ethiopian sour bread, lemonade tree, monkey-bread tree (South Africa), sour gourd •
French: baobab africain, baobab de mozambique, calebassier du sénégal, pain de singe •
German: Affenbrotbaum •
Marathi: गोरख चिंच gorakh chinch, वावबाब vavababa •
Nyanja: mlambe •
Polish: Baobab wlasciwy •
Tamil: பப்பரப்புளி papparappuli, பெரியமரவகை periyamaravakai •
Tswana: moana, mowana •
Venda: muvhuyu •
and: seboi (Sotho), toeega, ximuwu (Tsonga)
Origin: northeastern, central and southern Africa
The large, pendulous flowers (up to 200 mm in diameter) are white and sweetly scented and are pollinated by bats.
They are followed by velvety fruits full of edible acidic pulp sought by both monkeys and people.
References:
Top Tropicals •
Dave's Garden •
ZipCode Zoo •
EcoPort •
M.M.P.N.D.
Blogged at:
Slice of the Day by Vasant M. Salian
Explore flickr, 2nd May 2007
Botany Photo of the day, November 21, 2007 at UBC Botanical Garden