Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BAOBABS
With information from Jim Bond
The baobab - a freak among trees with its massively swollen trunk and sparse stubby
branches - is emblematic of Madagascar. This is the motherland of baobabs. Of the eight
speciesfoundworldwide,sixgrowexclusivelyinMadagascar.Theothers(oneinAustralia
andoneacrossAfrica)arebelievedtohaveoriginatedfromseedpodsthatweresweptaway
from Malagasy shores around 10mya and survived the ocean crossings. Even the African
species can be seen in Madagascar today, for it was introduced by Arab traders as street
planting in towns.
The reason for the baobab's extraordinary girth - sometimes exceeding 30m - is that it
is well adapted to inhospitably dry conditions. It is capable of taking up and storing water
from sporadic downpours very efficiently, its porous wood acting like a huge sponge. No
doubt inspired by the great size of some specimens, claims have been made that these gi-
ants can live for many thousands of years. In fact, recent studies suggest that few are older
than 500, but it is difficult to be certain because unlike other trees baobabs do not produce
growth rings.
Floral groups
The six Malagasy species can be divided into two groups based on floral
characteristics: the Brevitubae (short-tubed) and Longitubae (long-tubed). Baobabs have
large, showy flowers - up to 30cm long - that open at dusk and are receptive for one night
only.
Brevitubae
This group comprises
Adansonia grandidieri
in the south and
A. suarezensis
in the north. They typically have flat-topped crowns of predominantly horizontal branches,
emerging just above the canopy of the surrounding forest. This arrangement is thought to
assist their favoured pollinator, a fruit bat, in hopping between flowers. The cream-col-
ouredflowers,whicharehelderectratherlikeacupandsaucer,andhaveafoulcarrion-like
smell, are also visited by fork-marked lemurs, giant mouse lemurs, sunbirds and bees.
Longitubae
The remaining Malagasy species,
A. za
and
A. rubrostipa
in the south, and
A.
perrieri
and
A. madagascariensis
in the north, have long floral parts, which in contrast to
the Brevitubae are red and yellow and have a sweetly fragrant scent. They dangle down-
wards concealing the nectar at the end of an elongated tube. Only the long tongues of cer-
tainhawkmoths-commonlyreaching25cmunfurled-canreachit.Thesetreestendtobe
smaller than the Brevitubae because, being pollinated by hawk moths, they have less need
to emerge above the canopy.
Speciesofbaobab
Eventotheexperteye,individualspeciescanbetoughtoidentify.Their
form is highly dependent on environmental factors meaning there can be massive vari-
ation within one species. Grandidier's baobabs near Morondava, for example, are smooth,
