Baobab tree in Saudi Arabia. Take the road at Al Baha direction red sea (down the mountains , dangerous) and you will run into these trees. Slide 1984 ============================
Baobab is the common name of a genus (Adansonia) containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (having six species), mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that country.
Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The species reach heights of 5–30 m and trunk diameters of 7-11 m. A specimen in Limpopo Province, South Africa, often considered the largest example alive, has a circumference of 50 m and an average diameter of 15 m [1].
Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings, though radiocarbon dating may be able to provide age data.
Water storage
Baobabs store water inside the swollen trunk (up to 120,000 liters or 32,000 US gallons) to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region.[2] All occur in seasonally arid areas, and are deciduous, shedding their leaves during the dry season.
[edit] Uses The fruit is about 18 cm long The fruit is about 18 cm long
The leaves are commonly used as a leaf vegetable throughout the area of mainland African distribution, including Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the Sahel. They are eaten both fresh and as a dry powder. In Nigeria, the leaves are locally known as kuka, and are used to make kuka soup.
The fruit is nutritious possibly having more vitamin C than oranges and exceeding the calcium content of cow's milk[3] and is also known as "sour gourd" or "monkey's bread". The dry pulp of the fruit, after separation from the seeds and fibers, is eaten directly or mixed into porridge or milk. In Malawi, the fruit pulp is used to make a juice rich in nutrients such as calcium and vitamin C.[3]
The fruit was once used in the production of tartar sauce.[4] In various parts of East Africa, the dry fruit pulp is covered in sugary coating (usually with red coloring) and sold in packages as a sweet and sour candy called "boonya" or "bungha".
The seeds are mostly used as a thickener for soups, but may also be fermented into a seasoning, roasted for direct consumption, or pounded to extract vegetable oil. The tree also provides a source of fiber, dye, and fuel.
Indigenous Australians used baobabs as a source of water and food, and used leaves medicinally. They also painted and carved the outside of the fruits and wore them as ornaments. A very large, hollow baobab south of Derby, Western Australia was used in the 1890s as a prison for Aboriginal convicts on their way to Derby for sentencing. The Boab Prison Tree still stands and is now a tourist attraction.
The whole fruit of the baobab is not available in the EU as current EU legislations from 1997 dictate that foods not commonly consumed in the EU have to be formally approved before going on sale. On 15 July 2008, the EU approved parts of the fruit for use in smoothies and cereal bars. Traditional uses of the whole fruit are unlikely outside of Africa as the fruit will be processed for export as a white powder with a cheese-like texture to be used as an ingredient in products.[3]
When I was driving the car and saw the tree I knew it was special, I had seen it on TV only in africa. I think the seeds come from Sudan and were brought in by birds or by a sand storm.
shakraaan harry............. Valuable information, my friend. I have benefited greatly from a reading of the subject .... Thank you very much . 7/7 ma salaama musa
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