African baobab tree: fruits and flowers of the baobab, photos, videos, pictures. Baobab: description, interesting facts and uses

Nature has endowed with incredible longevity african baobab- there are known specimens that are more than five thousand years old. This relatively low stocky tree lives in the dry savannas of Namibia, Kenya, Mozambique.

How to determine the age of a baobab

Usually, to determine the age of a tree, a block is cut from its trunk from bark to wood and the annual rings are counted. But the baobab does not form such rings. Scientists have to use the more expensive radiocarbon method. The oldest was a tree growing in Senegal, which has recently been hit 5170 years.

However, the radiocarbon method works well over longer time frames. How closer age the subject to the present, the higher the error. Therefore, most botanists are more careful and estimate the lifetime of baobabs at 3-4 thousand years.

How a long-liver survives on the savannah

Terrible heat and droughts are habitual living conditions for baobabs. It has extremely long roots reaching groundwater... Wood is porous and, as long as possible, accumulates water reserves. Medium barrel can store more than one hundred tons of moisture... In the hottest time, the plant sheds its leaves, which makes it seem from a distance its roots turned upside down.

The Africans have a legend about this. The creator first planted a baobab near wide river... But the grumpy tree complained of damp fogs. Then the creator moved it to beautiful green hills. The plant didn't like the wind. The Creator shrugged his shoulders, tore out the seedling and threw it into the savannah. Only the obstinate fell with his roots to the sky.

The most famous baobab

One of the most impressive specimens grows in South Africa, near the village with the intriguing name "Devil's Throat".

This relatively "young" specimen is about 1000 years old. At the base of the trunk there is a wide crack, behind it is a kind of cave with four-meter "ceilings". The owners of the site where the giant is located have equipped a beer restaurant in the cavity.

The establishment has 15 seats, it also has a small museum and a darts corner. Outside, the tables stand right on the grass, and the crown covers the summer cafe from the sun.

Wet and fragile wood is easily damaged by fungi and destroyed. Giant hollows in these trees are not uncommon. In Australia, one such hollow served as an impromptu prison for a long time. Some African tribes the bodies of the dead "sorcerers" are suspended in such cavities.

Completely decrepit baobabs do not fall, but gradually settle to the ground. But before dying, every guardian of the savannah has gazed at the bustle of civilizations for thousands of years.

By the way, do you know what they hide from the townsfolk?

The baobab wood has such a soft and porous structure that when infected with a fungus, it is extremely quickly destroyed and forms huge voids. Meanwhile, this does not affect its existence in any way - a tree hollow from the inside is quite capable of surviving for more than a dozen years. Moreover, in Zimbabwe, a real bus station was placed inside such a cavity, capable of accommodating two dozen people, and a small bar was equipped in Limpopo.

The baobab belongs to the Adansonia genus of the Malvov family (sometimes it is referred to the Bombax family, since there are no clear distinctions between these families). This tree is found only in arid savannas. tropical Africa, in an area covered with grassy vegetation with occasional trees and shrubs.

The baobab has acclimatized to local conditions quite in an unusual way: moisture and nutrients, which he absorbs like a huge sponge, helps him to maintain a wide, often up to ten meters in diameter, trunk (an interesting fact: the widest tree described by botanists had a width of 54.5 m - and at one time it was entered in the Book Guinness records).

It should be noted that with such a thickness, its height is small and ranges from 18 to 25 meters, only 2-3 times exceeding its width - such compactness gives the plant the opportunity not to die under the burning sun's rays.

The bark of this plant is also amazing, if you peel it off, then it will not harm the tree, because pretty soon it will grow back.

An equally interesting fact is that if the baobab is cut down or an elephant knocks it down (these animals really like the juicy fibers of its core, and therefore they are able to completely eat it), and only one root will remain from the root system, it will still try to take root and continue to grow, but already lying down. Exactly how long the baobab lives, scientists could not really determine: there are no annual rings in this tree. Botanists are inclined to think that this tree can live for about a thousand years. With the help of radiocarbon analysis of one of the plants, it was possible to determine that its age is more than 4.5 thousand years.

Have African peoples there is a legend that says that when the Creator planted the baobab, he could not find a suitable land and moved from place to place. Angry, God tore up the tree and planted it upside down to keep it in place.

The period when baobab flowers and bears fruit lasts only three months - from October to December. Its flowers reach 20 cm in diameter, and they bloom only one night. the fruit of the tree is edible and looks like melons. They are especially fond of baboons, and for this baobab is also called breadfruit monkeys.However, people are not only using the fruit. The leaves of the tree are added as a seasoning to food, dried seeds are used instead of coffee, dried ground fruits are diluted in water and served as a soft drink reminiscent of "lemonade". This gave the baobab another name - lemonade tree... The bark of the tree is used to make coarse cloth, ropes and fishing nets. The baobab is also known for its healing properties... A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of cough and asthma, the bark is used for fever. According to the natives, ground baobab bark helps with malaria.

Baobab - unusual tree, and it still has quite a few unique features.

Unlike ordinary trees, the baobab has no growth rings - and no one can tell the exact age of the tree. But no one doubts that the baobab is a long-liver, given its size.

By the way about the size. Exactly this thick tree in the world. With a tree height of 18-25 meters, the trunk circumference is on average 10 meters. The Guinness Book of Records indicates a baobab with a trunk diameter of 54.5 meters. What a barrel has grown!

Huge hollows sometimes form in the trunk of the tree, which can be used as shelter. In Zimbabwe there is a baobab, which was equipped as a bus station. This bus station can accommodate about 40 people. In Botswana, the hollow tree used to be used as a prison. And in Namibia, a bath was made in the trunk of a baobab tree. They even put a bath there!
The natural conditions in which this fat man grows are quite arid. And such a giant as a baobab needs a lot of moisture. Therefore, in the rainy season, he absorbs into himself like a sponge, a large number of water. It is believed that one adult baobab can absorb about 100,000 liters of water. For this feature, some scientists want to delete the baobab from the list of trees, and add it to the succulents department, i.e. cacti and aloe. And also the "giant sponge" changes the size of its trunk. As the accumulated moisture is consumed, he begins to "lose weight".
There is another interesting feature - the baobab is one of the most tenacious plants in the world. If you tear off a piece of bark from him, it grows back. And if the tree will fall- nothing will happen to him either. As long as at least one root is in contact with the soil, the baobab will grow further, even when lying on its side.

Thanks to its unique abilities The baobab tree in Africa is considered the most revered tree. In the legends of African tribes, the baobab is a symbol of life and fertility, and is the guardian of the land.
But just recently, nine of the thirteen most ancient baobabs in Africa mysteriously died, and many other long-lived trees are now in critical condition the reason for which is still unclear, say ecologists in an article published in the journal Nature Plants.
"We assume that this 'epidemic' of deaths is due to the fact that the baobabs may not be as resistant to drought as we previously thought. On the other hand, similar problems should have affected all trees, not just the largest and oldest baobabs." Sarah Venter of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, comments on the discovery.

Baobabs are considered one of the longest-lived and most tenacious plants on Earth. According to eyewitnesses, savannah giants often survive after raids by elephants eating away at their soft and water-rich core, as well as lightning strikes, droughts and other natural disasters.
Unlike other trees, the baobab has no growth rings, making it almost impossible to determine their age using traditional methods, with the exception of radiocarbon analysis. According to rough estimates of scientists, the thickest and largest baobabs, whose diameter is close to five meters, lived for about two thousand years.
According to Karl von Reden, an ecologist at the Institute of Oceanography in Woods Hole (USA), his team uncovered a mysterious epidemic of deaths among ancient baobabs virtually by accident. Initially, scientists solved the exact opposite problem - they tried to find out the secrets of longevity and survival of these trees, studying their colonies in different regions Africa.
Since 2005, von Rehden and his team have made dozens of trips to South Africa and other arid regions of Africa where baobabs grow. Visiting these savannahs, scientists asked local residents to show them the largest and oldest trees, collected pieces of their wood and calculated their age from the fraction of carbon isotopes using a mass spectrometer.

In total, scientists have calculated the age of over six dozen trees growing in southern Africa, Madagascar and the eastern part of the continent, conducting a kind of census of the oldest baobabs.

As von Rehden notes, scientists managed to uncover one of the main secrets of baobab vitality: when an old tree trunk dies, its roots grow a new shoot next to the old one, which ultimately leads to the formation of a large hollow trunk typical for these plants.


Having received an answer to this question, scientists came across new riddle- over 12 years of observing these baobabs, nine out of 13 oldest trees, whose age exceeded 1.3-2 thousand years, and five of the six largest baobabs died for reasons that are not yet understood. As a rule, their death began with the fact that the oldest tree trunk suddenly fell and died away, and all other parts of the baobab followed it.

Many of these plants, according to ecologists, were considered sacred trees among the locals, and therefore it is extremely unlikely that people could destroy them or somehow negatively affect the life of the baobabs. The reasons for the death of baobabs are not entirely clear, but ecologists believe that they could have been killed by climate change, which has exacerbated droughts in South Africa.

An ancient legend of African aborigines tells the following about the baobab: “On the bank of a fast, deep river, God gave a lawn for the baobab. high mountain, but the dissatisfied tree again did not like it. Then the angry Vladyka stuck him in the middle of the barren savanna, with his roots upside down. ”So now the baobab grows in the arid African desert.

Previously, the baobab was not considered a tall tree, the primacy among the most tall trees kept sequoia and eucalyptus for many years. However, not so long ago, in Africa, they discovered gigantic baobab... The crown of the tree shot up to the very clouds, and the height of the plant turned out to be 189 meters away... Baobab trees are long-livers. In the late 18th century, African flora researcher Michael Adanson found a gigantic baobab tree. Its trunk exceeded 9 meters in diameter, and age was 5150 years... Baobab singled out Alexander Humboldt, calling this tree the most ancient monument of our planet.

To embrace such a huge baobab, an entire classroom would have to join hands.

The baobab is highly respected by the indigenous people Equatorial Africa, for its amazing properties, the tree is given many nicknames. And the real name was given to him by Karl Linnaeus, the scientific name of the baobab sounds poetically - “ adansonia».

The baobab has adapted to life in a waterless area, with a terrible heat. Its roots, in search of water, go deep into the ground for many kilometers. The bark of a tree, damaged by humans or elephants, recovers surprisingly quickly. Baobab is not afraid of destructive steppe fires. If the fire damages the tree, even burns out its core, the resilient giant continues to grow. Huge hollows are formed in the trunk of the baobab due to damage to the soft core by fungi. But even then the tree continues to serve man. The hollow trunk collects rainwater, which is used by local residents in dry times. In hollows, some tribes bury their leaders in them. Scientists have discovered another interesting phenomenon - baobab accumulates uranium in its wood.

Baobab flower. For a long time it remained a mystery, who pollinates the baobab flowers? It turned out that at night, baobab flowers are pollinated by bats, which come to feast on flower nectar.

In the desert, where this amazing tree grows, there is a very hot, drying summer. The baobab sheds its leaves during this period to reduce moisture loss. But in winter, when the rainy period begins, the tree is covered with young dense foliage and blooms. Adansonia's flowers are large, up to 20 cm in diameter, with delicate white petals. At night, the flowers of the baobab are pollinated by bats, which come to feast on the flower nectar.

After a while, fruits ripen, similar to long cucumbers. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, soft - local monkeys are not averse to eating them. Locals call baobab the monkey breadfruit.

Locals eat the fruits of the baobab.

All parts of the tree are used by local people. The seeds and fruits are used to make refreshing drinks and medicines, and the leaves are used to make National dishes... The fried fruits are eaten, and the extract from the seeds is used for poisoning. Strong bark fibers are used in the manufacture of ropes and rough fabrics, and they are also used to make strings for African musical instruments.

When dying, the baobab does not fall to the ground - it crumbles, leaving behind a pile of fibers. The inhabitants of the savannah respect the unique tree, everyone tries to plant a baobab next to their hut.

Baobab or Adansonia finger (lat.Adansonia digitata) - a species of trees from the genus Adansonia of the Malvaceae family,
typical of the dry savannahs of tropical Africa.

The name Adansonia was given to the genus in honor of the French botanist and explorer of Africa Michel Adanson (1727-1806); the specific name "digitata" refers to the shape of the leaves - they are 5-7-finger in the baobab.

The baobab is famous for its unusual proportions. This is one of the thickest trees in the world - with an average trunk circumference of 9-10 m, its height is only 18-25 m (the Guinness Book of Records for 1991 tells about the baobab, which had 54.5 m in girth). At the top, the trunk is divided into thick, almost horizontal branches, forming a large, up to 38 m in diameter, crown.
In the dry season, in winter, when the baobab sheds its foliage, it takes on the curious look of a tree growing with its roots up.

African legend says that the Creator planted a baobab tree in the valley of the Congo River, but the tree began to complain of dampness. Then the Creator transplanted him to the slope of the Moon Mountains, but even here the baobab was not satisfied. Angry at the tree's constant complaints, God tore it out and threw it on dry African soil. Since then, the baobab grows upside down

The loose, porous wood of the baobab is capable of absorbing water like a sponge during the rainy season, which explains the unusual thickness of these trees - they are, in fact, huge reservoirs of water. The collected liquid is protected from evaporation by a thick, up to 10 cm, grayish-brown bark, which is also loose and soft - a dent remains on it from a punch; however, its inner part is held together by strong fibers.

In winter, during the dry period, the tree begins to consume its moisture reserves - it decreases in volume and sheds foliage. From October to December, the baobab blooms.
Flowers the baobab is large (up to 20 cm in diameter), white with five petals and purple stamens, on hanging pedicels.
They open in the late afternoon and live only one night, attracting the scent of pollinating them bats... In the morning, the flowers wither, acquiring an unpleasant putrid smell, and fall off.

Followed by the development of oblong fruit, which resemble cucumbers or melons, covered with a thick shaggy skin.
Inside, the fruits are filled with sour powdery pulp with black seeds.
The fruits are edible. Because of the addiction of monkeys (baboons) to them, the baobab was nicknamed "the monkey breadfruit."

The soft, water-saturated wood of baobabs is susceptible to fungal diseases, which is why the trunks of adult plants are usually hollow or hollow, rotted inside. The baobab dies off in a peculiar way: it seems to crumble and gradually settle, leaving behind only a pile of fiber. However, baobabs are extremely tenacious.
They quickly regenerate the stripped bark; continue to bloom and bear fruit with an empty core; a tree that has been felled or felled can take root.

The lifespan of baobabs is controversial - they do not have growth rings, which can be used to reliably calculate their age.
Calculations carried out by the method of radiocarbon analysis (according to C14) showed more than 5500 years for a tree with a diameter of 4.5 m, although according to more conservative estimates, baobabs live "only" 1000 years.

Usage
Locals have found use for almost any part of the baobab.

Coarse, strong fiber is made from its bark, which is used for the manufacture of fishing nets, ropes, mats and fabrics. From the ashes of the baobab bark, quite effective drugs are obtained against colds, fevers, dysentery, cardiovascular disease, asthma, toothache, insect bites.

Young leaves are added to salads, dry ones are used as spices; in Nigeria, they are used to make soup. Young shoots are boiled like asparagus.

Flower dust is used to make glue.

Fresh pulp resembles ginger in taste and is rich in vitamins C and B, and in terms of its nutritional value it is equal to that of veal. It is quickly absorbed by the body and relieves fatigue. The pulp of the fruit is also dried and ground into powder; diluted in water, it gives a soft drink, slightly similar to "lemonade", hence another name for baobab - lemonade tree.

The seed of the fruit is edible raw, and a coffee substitute is made from roasted and ground.

The dried hard shell of the fruit is used in place of the glass. The smoke from burning the dry insides of the fruit drives away mosquitoes and other annoying insects.

The ash of the burnt fruit is used to make soap and, which is especially important, oil, on which you can fry.
Powder made from the fruit of the baobab, women East Africa wash their heads,
and the red juice that its roots contain is used to paint faces.

Until recently, baobabs were banned from food in Europe, but a couple of years ago, permission was obtained. True, Europeans will get to know the new product only in a processed form.
The pulp of the baobab fruit is planned to be used in fruit cocktails and nectars, as well as additives in muesli.

In local medicine, fruit pulp, juice, leaves and bark were used as remedies against various fevers and dysentery. From the bark of the baobab, a medicine similar to quinine is obtained. Baobab pulp powder increases immunity, lowers cholesterol, and reduces menstrual pain.
Baobab is especially good for the skin - it not only improves its condition, but also nourishes the skin, relieves irritation from it, inflammatory processes and restores the epidermis in the event of a burn.

The baobab is a delicacy for elephants. African giants eat them almost entirely, and not only the leaves and branches, but also the trunk.

Describing his African expeditions, the famous traveler David Livingstone recalled how he saw 20-30 people sleeping sweetly inside a dried-up trunk, and no one disturbed anyone. In Kenya, on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, there is a baobab refuge equipped with a door and window. In Zimbabwe, a bus station was made from one tree, in the "waiting room" of which up to forty people can fit. Near the town of Kasane in Botswana, there is a baobab that was once used as a prison.

A pub was opened in one of the oldest and largest trees on the planet.

It all started when in 1990 the Van Heerden couple bought a farm in the Limpopo province called Sunland. It is noteworthy that the condition of the site was very deplorable, but a baobab grew there, the size of which was very surprising, namely, it was as much as 22 meters in height, and the girth of the baobab is about 47 meters. Thus, this representative of the flora is the largest of its kind.

Studies conducted to establish the age of this tree have shown that its age is about 6 thousand years, which exceeds the age of even the pyramids in Egypt.
In 1993, the Van Heerdens discovered that there was a cavity inside the tree and began to cleanse it. They were amazed at the size of the inside of the tree and decided to open a bar in it - "Baobab Bar"

Due to the fact that the baobabs are naturally hollow inside, the tree trunk was practically not damaged during the construction of the bar.
So as windows and doors as well ventilation ducts, natural holes in the tree trunk were used.

Now in the Baobab bar you can see everything that is supposed to be in a traditional British pub - draft beer, bar stools, a stereo system, darts and even a telephone. The wood bar can accommodate more than fifty people, although it can comfortably accommodate ten to fifteen people.

The baobab is considered the national tree of Madagascar.
And in Japan there is Baobab-flavored Pepsi!

The baobab is a prized African tree that evokes associations with the sultry savanna, where it usually grows. The mighty plant is the most bright representative the Malvov family.

Another well-known name is Adansonia finger, received in honor of French explorer and botanist Michel Adanson.

Many people still remember about the baobab from children's books. There is interesting legend, according to which the plant was planted by an ancient god in the valley of the deep Congo River. However, he did not like this place because of the coolness. The Creator thought and transplanted him to another country. The tree again remained dissatisfied, and the angry god threw it upside down into the desert.

Where grows

A favorite habitat for baobabs is arid tropical regions. The native continent is Africa, or rather, savannahs and woodlands. But also, they are found in other places - Australia, India, Madagascar.

There are two versions of the tree entering the Australian continent. Perhaps the population has survived from the time when Australia and Africa were one continent. Presumably, this was 60 million years ago. The second option is that the fruits that fell into the water sailed from Africa and spread along the coast.

Description

In total, there are about 150 species of exotic plants. It is distinguished by its unique appearance - it resembles a tree planted upside down. On a bare and thick trunk, which ends abruptly at the top, there is a crown of half-naked branches.

Most of all, the giant strikes with the width of its trunk. The diameter of the latter reaches an average of 8 to 10 meters. Compared to its thickness, the tree has a small height. This configuration is due to a natural factor - it helps the plant to survive in direct sunlight.

The size of the leaves is about the size of a human palm. They are divided into 5 identical parts in the form of lanceolate leaves. During the dry season, which lasts about six months in the savannah, the baobab always sheds its foliage.

The most powerful root system provides a tree the required amount moisture. The roots first grow down to a depth of 3-4 meters, and then spread to the sides over long distances, up to 50 meters.

The bark is thick, brownish brown. With the help of it, it also retains water, does not allow it to evaporate.

During periods of drought, its own water reserves are consumed, and the baobab is somewhat reduced in size. For this reason, gaps are formed in the trunk. The local population used to use them as warehouses for grain and housing. The rainy season helps the plant return to its previous state.

It is believed that a tree can survive ten dry years without rain.

The first flowering occurs at the age of 20. The baobab blooms at the end of the dry season (October and November) after shedding its foliage. First, rounded buds are formed on the branches. At night, they bloom and turn into large white flowers (about 20 cm). The lifespan of each specimen is very short - only one night. Bats flock to the aroma and the bats... Then the flower withers, emitting a not very pleasant smell, and falls off.

Later, fruits of a round or oval, the weight of which is from 1.5 to 3 kg. They are covered with a thick skin and resemble zucchini hanging on long stalks. They contain sour pulp, which is edible and has great nutritional value. It tastes like a mixture of vanilla, pear and grapefruit. Baboons love the filling. For this reason. the locals gave the plant another name - “breadfruit for monkeys”. The inside of the fruit contains small black seeds that are spread by animals.

There are many more interesting facts about baobabs. Here are some of them:

1. They do not have rings on the cut like most other trees. Therefore, it is possible to determine the age only using radiocarbon analysis. Numerous studies of scientists have not helped to establish how many years they live.
2. They differ in slow growth - 5-10 centimeters per year. The attention-grabbing giants are usually many hundreds of years old.
3. Do not create thickets, grow alone.
4. If the bark is completely ripped off, then it regenerates very quickly and grows again.
5. They continue to grow even after severe damage and felling. A felled baobab is able to take root and survive.
6. Elephants sometimes fill up small specimens and eat juicy wood.
7. They are distinguished by increased vitality, they are not afraid of fire.
8. People eat foliage and shoots.
9. Spices are made from dry parts.