Adansonia Notes

Adansonia digitata L.
Adansonia grandidieri Baill.
Adansonia gregori F. Mueller
Adansonia madagascarensis Baill.
Adansonia perrieri Capuron.
Adansonia rubrostipa Jumelle & Perrier.
Adansonia suarezensis H. Perrier
Adansonia za Baill.

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Introduction

The Baobabs, genus Adansonia, are a genus of 8 large trees. 6 species are endemic to Madagascar, 1 to north west Australia, and the eighth is widely distributed in Africa, and naturalised or planted in many other places in the tropics.

They are deciduous, shedding their leaves in the dry season, and often have large swollen trunks. The leaves are 3-11 digitate. The large flowers are borne in the leaf axils, usually solitarily. They possess a deeply 5-lobed calyx, whitish to yellow or red petals, and a staminal tube with long free filaments. The ovary is 5-10 locular, with many ovules. The fruits are woody or subwoody, many-seeded, indehiscent, globose to oblong in shape, and tomentose. The reniform seeds are enclosed in a chalky or spongy pulp. [1]

Classification

The genus belongs to tribe Adansonieae of subfamily Bombacoideae of the angiosperm family Malvaceae.

Adansonia digitata L.
 African Baobab, Bottle Tree, Cream-tartar Tree, Ethiopian sour bread, Fony, sour gourd
 Baobab of Mahajanga
 Dead Rat Tree, Monkey Bread Tree
 Baobab africain, Baobab de Mozambique, Calebassier du Sénégal, Pain de singe
 Mapou africain, Mapou Zombi
 Baobá Africano
 Albero bottiglia, Baobab africano
 Affenbrotbaum, Afrikanischer Baobab
 Apenbroodboom, Kremetartboom
 Afrikaanse Kremetart , Apebroodboom, Kremetart
 Abebrødstræ, Baobab
 Baobab, harilik ahvileivapuu
 baobab właściwy, Baobab afrykański
 baobab prstnatý
 baobabas, Tikrasis baobabas
 Afrika Baobabo
 Afrika baobab
 hamar
 Bao báp châu Phi
 chimuho, imbomdeiro, mulapa, muramba
 boumbou, kouboli, kouka
 bobdi, boki
 moulgouï
 kmsa
 kouka

Adansonia digitata is found throughout the semi-arid regions of Africa. It reaches 25m in height, and a trunk diameter of 12m. It has an irregular crown. The bark is grey, and usually smooth, but sometimes irregularly tuberculate. The flowers are white and pendulous.

Synonyms of Adansonia digitata include Adansonia bahobab L., Adansonia baobab Gaert., Adansonia digitata var. congolensis A.Chev., Adansonia integrifolia Rafin., Adansonia scutula Steud., Adansonia situla Spreng., Adansonia somaliensis Chiov., Adansonia sphaerocarpa A.Chev., Adansonia sulcata A.Chev., Baobabus digitata Kuntze and Ophelus sitularius Lour..

Adansonia grandidieri Baill.
 Giant Baobab, Grandidier's Baobab
 Baobab de Madagascar, Baobab malgache
 Baobá de Grandidier
 Baobab von Grandidier
 Baobab Grandidiera
 Büyük baobab
 Renala
 Bao báp Grandidier

Adansonia grandidieri is found in the west of Madagascar. It is a tall tree, reaching 25m in height, but much slenderer and more elegant than Adansonia digitata, with a trunk diameter reaching 3m. The crown, situated at the top of the tree, is flat and regular. The bark is smooth and reddish gray. The flowers are white, yellowing with age.

There are no known synonyms of Adansonia grandidieri.

Adansonia gregori F. Mueller
 Australian Baobab, Australian bottle tree
 Boab, Prison tree
 baobab australien, Baobab d' Australie
 Baobá Australiano
 Baobab australiano
 Australischer Baobab
 Australiaanse Kremetart
 Australisk baobab
 Gregori ahvileivapuu
 Baobab australijski
 Australia baobabo
 Avustralya baobab
 Bao báp Australia

Adansonia gregori is found in north west Australia. It is a smaller, often multi-trunked, tree, with smooth grey bark, and an irregular crown, rarely exceeding 10m in height. The flowers are white to pale cream.

Synonyms of Adansonia gregori include Adansonia gibbosa (A.Cunn) Guymer, Adansonia rupestris Saville-Kent , Adansonia stanburyana Hochr., Baobab gregorii (F.Muell.) Kuntze, Baobabus gregorii Kuntze and Capparis gibbosa A.Cunn..

Adansonia madagascariensis Baill.
 Baobab de Madagascar
 Baobá de Madagascar
 Baobab del Madagascar
 Affenbrotbäume von Madagaskar, Madagaskar-Baobab
 Malagassische baobab
 Madagaskar Baobab
 madagaskari ahvileivapuu
 Madagaskara baobabo
 Madagaskar baobab
 bozy
 Bao báp Madagasca

Adansonia madagascariensis is also found in Madagascar. It reaches 20m in height. It has smooth, pale grey bark, and dark red flowers.

Synonyms of Adansonia madagascariensis include Adansonia bernieri Baill. and Baobabus madagascariensis Kuntze..

Adansonia perrieri Capuron
 Perrier's Baobab
 Baobab d'Antsiranana
 Baobá de Perrier
 Baobab di Perrier
 Baobab von Perrier
 Baobab Perriera
 Perrier baobab
 Bao báp Perrier

Adansonia perrieri is restricted to the north of Madagascar. It can reach 30m in height. The flowers are pale yellow to yellow orange.

There are no known synonyms of Adansonia perrieri.

Adansonia rubrostipa Jumelle & Perrier
 Petit Baobab de Madagascar

Adansonia rubrostipa is the smaller of the Malagasy boababs, usually being 4 to 5m in height, but can exceptionally reach 20m. It has an irregular crown, borne above a distinct constriction at the top of the trunk. The bark is grey and rugose when young, but reddish-brown when mature. The leaves are serrate. The flowers are bright yellow to orange-yellow.

Adansonia fony Baill. is a synonym of Adansonia rubrostipa.

Adansonia suarezensis H. Perrier
 Baobab du nord de Madagascar

Adansonia suarezensis is restricted to the north of Madagascar. It is a large tree with reaching 25m in height and a trunk diameter of 2m. It has a flat topped crown, with regularly arranged, mostly horizontal branches. The flowers are white.

There are no known synonyms of Adansonia suarezensis.

Adansonia za Baill.
 Baobab de Madagascar

Adansonia za is the most widely distributed of the Malagasy boababs, being found in the south, west and north west of the island. It is 5 to 30m tall, usually with a single cylindrical trunk. The primary branches are often ascending. It has grey bark and yellow flowers.

Synonyms of Adansonia za include Adansonia alba Jum. & H.Perrier and Adansonia bozy Jum. & H.Perrier.

Images

References

  1. Kubitzki & Bayer, Malvaceae, in Kubitzki & Bayer, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Plants V: (2003)

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