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Rare
Tree: Baobab
National Tree Number:
467
Botanical name: Adansonia digitata
Other names: Kremetart, Mowana, Seboi, Ximuwu, Muvhuyu, isiMuku
Description:
A massive deciduous tree about 10 to 20m tall with a round or spreading crown, and a stout cylindrical trunk.
The Baobab is one of the best known and longest living trees of Africa. Some trees are estimated to be about 3 000 years old. Large trees often serve as communal meeting places. The trees are fire and termite resistant and much liked by elephants that eat the spongy tissues of the bole and can damage or destroy trees. The seeds are eaten by baboons and monkeys and used by humans. The bare branches resembling roots gave rise to an African folk tale about the tree being planted upside down by God. The tree is protected in South Africa. The largest tree in the country is a baobab at Sagole in the Limpopo Province of 22m high, a massive trunk diameter of 10,4m and a crown diameter of 38,2m.
The bark is smooth, greyish to reddish-brown bark up to 10cm thick. The leaves are alternate and arranged like the fingers of a hand with 3 to 9 sessile of branches and leaf stalks up to 160mm long. Leaflets oblong to ovate, up to 12cm long. The flowers are large and waxy white flowers up to 20cm in diameter, opening at night and attracting pollinating fruit bats with its unpleasant smelling nectar. The fruit is very big 15 to 22 cm, hairy, yellow-brown woody capsules, hanging on long stalks on the bare tree. About 100 seeds lie within white-pink, dry, edible pulp that contains tartaric acid. The wood is whitish, spongy and light fibrous wood.
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Uses:
Traditionally the tree has provided food, shelter, clothing and medicine as well as material for hunting and fishing. A powdery “cream-of-tartar” is derived from the fruit as a food ingredient. The nutritious fruit and leaves are edible and a refreshing drink is made from the pulp of the fruit. The leaves, fruit pulp and bark also have medicinal uses.
Distribution:
This drought-resistant tree occurs in hot dry woodland at low altitude. In South Africa its natural range is limited to parts of the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, with a few scattered trees also occurring in the Northwest Province. |
