Adansonia digitata

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African Baobab tree near Kayes, Mali
Species name: Adansonia digitata

Adansonia digitata, the baobab, is the most widespread of the Adansonia species on the African continent, found in the hot, dry savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. It also grows, having spread secondary to cultivation, in populated areas. In India, the tree is found in hot, dry regions of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. (Source:Wikipedia,Plants of India)


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Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Names of users who have contributed to this species page Gauravm
Date on which this page was first created 2010/05/20
This page was last modified on: 20 March 2011 23:49:28
Name of the species Adansonia digitata
ID on Encyclopedia of Life 584789
Synonyms Please check Binomial Classification section for synonyms.
Common English Names Baobab
Common Hindi Names Gorakh imli गोरख इमली
Common Indian names ದೊಡ್ದಹುನುಸೆ Doddahunuse (Kannada);Gorakh imli गोरख इमली (Hindi); Gorakh chinch गोरख चिंच (Marathi); Bukha (Gujarati); Brahmaaamlika (Telugu);Gadhagachh (Bengali); Papparappuli பப்பரப்புளி (Tamil); Sarpadandi (Sanskrit) Flowers of India,Hindu News
Origins/Meanings of the common names The name Adansonia honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described A. digitata. The specific epithet digitata refers to the fingers of a hand, which the five leaflets (typically) in each cluster bring to mind. Wikipedia

Taxonomy from Encyclopedia of Life

If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID

{{#EoLOnlyHierarchy:584789}} 

Taxonomy filled in form

Angiosperm phylogeny. This image is copyrighted. Rights owned by Theodore C.H.Cole (Heidelberg) and Hartmut H. Hilger (Berlin) 2010. Please obtain copyright permissions before reuse.
Click here for the PDF of the phylogeny
Taxon Value
Regnum (Kingdom) Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Malvales
Family Bombacaceae
Genus Adansonia
Source of data '

Other closely related species

SpeciesDivisionCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Aloe veraAloe vera, Medicinal aloe, Burn plantGheekumari घीकुमारी
Acacia niloticaArabic Gum, Black Piquant, Egyptian thorn, Prickly acaciaबबूल Babool,कीकर Kikar
Saraca indicaAshokaअशोक Ashok
… further results
DivisionTaxon detailsTaxon morphology details
MagnoliophytaAlso called Angiospermae. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from gymnosperms around 245–202 million years ago, and the first flowering plants known to exist are from 140 million years ago. They diversified enormously during the Lower Cretaceous and became widespread around 100 million years ago, but replaced conifers as the dominant trees only around 60-100 million years ago.These are seed plants like Gymnosperms, but can be differentiated by the presence of flowers, seeds containing endosperm and seeds that produce a fruit. Angiosperms are the most diverse and highly evolutionarily successful group of land plants.
SpeciesClassCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Acacia niloticaMagnoliopsidaArabic Gum, Black Piquant, Egyptian thorn, Prickly acaciaबबूल Babool,कीकर Kikar
Saraca indicaMagnoliopsidaAshokaअशोक Ashok
Adansonia digitataMagnoliopsidaBaobabGorakh imli गोरख इमली
… further results
ClassTaxon detailsTaxon morphology details
MagnoliopsidaMagnoliopsida is the scientific name for dicots. This class contains about ~1,99,350 species of Angiosperms. Eudicots are a subset of Dicots. Based on chloroplast DNA sequences, the divergence date between monocots and dicots is estimated to be ~200 million years, with a 40 million years uncertainty.Dicots are diverse in habit, with half of all the species being more or less woody-stemmed - a reflection of the usual presence of a vascular cambium in the class. Annuals, biennials, vines, epiphytes, aquatics, parasites, and saprotrophs are also well represented in dicots. Vascular bundles of the stem are usually borne in a ring that encloses the pith. Vessel elements present except in some putatively primitive woody or aquatic families. Most dicots have a primary root system derived from the radicle, although some have an adventitious root system commonly seen in the class of monocots. Cotyledons are usually 2, seldom 1, 3, or 4. Leaves are mostly net-veined.
SpeciesOrderCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Adansonia digitataMalvalesBaobabGorakh imli गोरख इमली
Hibiscus rosa-sinensisMalvalesHibiscus, Chinese hibiscusगुढ़ल Gurhal
Abutilon indicumMalvalesIndian Mallow, Country Mallow, Abutilon, Indian abutilonकंघी Kanghi
… further results
SpeciesFamilyCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Adansonia digitataBombacaceaeBaobabGorakh imli गोरख इमली
SpeciesGenusCommon nameCommon Hindi name
Adansonia digitataAdansoniaBaobabGorakh imli गोरख इमली

Based on classification

More details can be found in the Binomial Classification section.

Morphology from Encyclopedia of Life

If nothing is displayed in this section, it means the EoL ID has not been defined. Please click on Edit with form button on top and follow the instructions for filling in the EoL ID

{{#EoLOnlyDescription:584789}} 

General morphology

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
General morphological features of the plant The trees usually grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive trees on the savannah, in the scrub, and near settled areas, with some large individuals living to well over a thousand years of age.The tree bears very large, heavy white flowers. The showy flowers are pendulous with a very large number of stamens. They carry a carrion scent and researchers have shown they appear to be primarily pollinated by fruit bats of the subfamily Pteropodinae. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread."The trees usually grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive trees on the savannah, in the scrub, and near settled areas, with some large individuals living to well over a thousand years of age.The tree bears very large, heavy white flowers. The showy flowers are pendulous with a very large number of stamens. They carry a carrion scent and researchers have shown they appear to be primarily pollinated by fruit bats of the subfamily Pteropodinae. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread." cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. Wikipedia
Seed dispersal mechanism
Bloom type Perennial
Life cycle of the plant

How to identify this species

For a detailed description, refer to the General Morphology details above

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Type of plant Woody (Tree/Shrub)
Plant height More than 10 feet Wikipedia
Flower color White Wikipedia
Flower shape
Floral symmetry
Phyllotaxy of leaves
Leaf shape
Is the leaf petiolated or sessile?
Is the leaf simple or compound?

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
IUCN Conservation Status
Indian States in which the species has been documented Andhra Pradesh,Bihar,Goa,Gujarat,Karnataka,Maharashtra,Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu,Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal Plants of India
Locations at which the species has been documented
Biotic zones inhabited Central Deccan Plateau
Details about the habitat
Is this species native to India?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Sub-Himalayan regions?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Western Ghats?
Is the species indigenous/endemic to Eastern Ghats?

Plant is not native or native status not filled in

If no maps are displayed below, it means the required data is absent. Click on "Edit with form" button on top of the page to add this information.
{{#generateMap:Andhra Pradesh,Bihar,Goa,Gujarat,Karnataka,Maharashtra,Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu,Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal|Adansonia_digitata_brahma.svg|align=center}}

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Does this species have any medicinal use? Yes

Other plants of the same family having medicinal use:

Species nameCommon nameCommon Hindi nameFamilyAilment typeMedicinal use description
Adansonia digitataBaobabGorakh imli गोरख इमलीBombacaceaeThis plant is mostly used in African countries as a folk medicine. Not in India.
Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
General types of ailments this species is used for treating
Specific ailments for which the species is used
Medicinal systems which use this plant Folk Medicine GRIN
Details of Medicinal use This plant is mostly used in African countries as a folk medicine. Not in India.
Parts of the plant used for treatment Fruit, Seeds
Names of some medicinal active compounds in this plant, if known.
Details of the active chemical compounds found in this plant
Is the molecular basis of the medicinal action known?
Details of molecular basis of action
Are the toxic effects of consumption of this plant known?
Details of the toxic effects of the plant species
Have there been validation/clinical studies related to this plant?
Details of the clinical studies related to the plant species

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant/plant-derived product used in food preparations? Yes User-reported
Part(s) of the plant used in the food preparations Fruit, Seeds
Details of use in food preparations Mostly this tree is found in Africa and in dry, arid areas. In Africa, the fruit and seed are used in food preparations and for making beverages. The African baobab's fruit (6 to 8 inches or 15 to 20 centimetres long) has twice as much calcium as milk, is high in anti-oxidants, iron and potassium, and has 6 times the vitamin C of an orange. The leaves can be eaten as relish, while the fruit dissolved in milk or water can be used as a drink. The seeds also produce edible oil. (Source: Wikipedia)

In 2008, the European Union approved the use and consumption of baobab fruit as an ingredient in smoothies and cereal bars. The United States Food and Drug Administration granted generally recognized as safe status to baobab dried fruit pulp as a food ingredient in 2009.

A nonprofit organization, PhytoTrade Africa, plans to market the fruit for the benefit of around 2.5 million of the poorest families in southern Africa.

Does this species have any religious significance? No User-reported
Religions which mention/give significance to this species Wikipedia
Religious occasions
Details of religious use

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Is this plant cultivated commercially in India? Yes Wikipedia
Uses for which the plant is commercially cultivated Human consumption, Medicinal use
Plant parts of commercial value Fruit, Seeds
Products where this plant is used User-reported
Description of use Mostly this tree is found in Africa and in dry, arid areas. In Africa, the fruit and seed are used in food preparations and for making beverages. The African baobab's fruit (6 to 8 inches or 15 to 20 centimetres long) has twice as much calcium as milk, is high in anti-oxidants, iron and potassium, and has 6 times the vitamin C of an orange. The leaves can be eaten as relish, while the fruit dissolved in milk or water can be used as a drink. The seeds also produce edible oil.

In 2008, the European Union approved the use and consumption of baobab fruit as an ingredient in smoothies and cereal bars. The United States Food and Drug Administration granted generally recognized as safe status to baobab dried fruit pulp as a food ingredient in 2009.

A nonprofit organization, PhytoTrade Africa, plans to market the fruit for the benefit of around 2.5 million of the poorest families in southern Africa.

Wikipedia
States where this plant is cultivated commercially
Best period for planting this plant
Best period for harvesting this plant
Method of propagation
Water requirement of this plant Low
Pests and Diseases affecting this plant during cultivation
Other considerations while cultivating this plant


Pubmed Word cloud

This word cloud is obtained using the tool LigerCat by searching the Pubmed database. LigerCat builds the cloud from the most relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. Each term's relative size indicates how many times it appears in the PubMed search results. Click on a term to access the full LigerCat cloud, with live PubMed search capabilities. LigerCat has been developed for the Biology of Aging Project.

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  • If there is an error message below, it means that there is no retrievable information available on NCBI
  • If the number of nucleotide sequences is less than 100, very little genomic work has been done on this species. A respectable number of nucleotide sequences is above 10000.
  • Most of the nucleotide sequences may come from three sources:
  1. Studies on single genes, where people try to sequence genes such as some specific dehydrogenases important,say, for tannin production
  2. Sequences of Ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer, whose sequence is used for generating molecular phylogenetic trees to establish species relationships
  3. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) which can tell about which genes are present and expressed in the species at a particular time in the given tissue

{{#queryDB:taxonomy |Adansonia digitata }}

Parameter Value(s) References
See complete references in the References section at the end
Details of modern scientific knowledge available for this species Mostly microsatellite markers are available. NCBI Taxonomy
Are herbarium specimen available for this species? No
Institutes having herbarium samples

References

HinduNews (Web): Rare, endangered tree found in Belgaum district, Accessdate=2010-08-19


Plants of India (Web): Plants of India entry, Accessdate=2011-03-20


Wikipedia (Web): Wikipedia entry on Baobab, Accessdate=2011-0.-20


FoI (Web): Flowers of India, Accessdate=2011-03-20