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Vavbab (Marathi: वावबाब)

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

 

 

Regarded as the largest succulent plant in the world, the baobab tree is steeped in a wealth of mystique, legend and superstition wherever it occurs in Africa.

 

It is a tree that can provide food, water, shelter and relief from sickness. During drought elephants obtain moisture by chewing on the wood - this massive tree stores large quantities of water in its trunk tissues.

 

The stem is covered with a bark layer, which may be 50-100 mm thick. The leaves are hand-sized and divided into 5-7 finger-like leaflets.

 

 

Courtesy:

- Top Tropicals

- Dave's Garden

- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- ZipCode Zoo

- EcoPort

- A Dictionary - Marathi and English

- Tamil Lexicon

- Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database

 

Note: Information has not been verified and may not be reliable; please check for any inaccuracy.

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Uploaded on May 3, 2007
Taken on May 3, 2007