Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Adansonia madagascariensis
Thisisthemostvariableandconsequentlythemostdifficult
to identify of the baobabs. Given favourable soil and water conditions, such as at the east
entrance to Ankarana, it may reach an imposing 20m in height, while on the nearby karst
the same species is squat and pear-shaped. The bark is pale grey and the flowers are dark
red. The fruits are smaller, rounder, less furry, and narrower-stalked than in most species.
Malagasy names:
zabe, renida, bojy, bozy;
flowers: March-April; distribution: Ankarana
plateau northwards.
Adansonia digitata
Although an introduced species, the African baobab has become nat-
uralised in several parts of Madagascar. The best known specimen grows in the middle of
a road at the western side of Mahajanga, where it has a role as a traffic island! This is the
fattest tree in Madagascar with a circumference of 22m. In Africa it grows in 31 countries.
Malagasy names:
sefo
,
bontona
,
vontona
; flowers: November-December.
THE VALUE OF THE FLORA
Many Malagasy plants crop up in garden centres throughout Europe. Familiar to hor-
ticulturalists are the dragon tree (
Dracaena marginata
), the crown of thorns (
Euphor-
bia millii
), the Areca palm, the flamboyant tree (
Delonix regia
) and the Madagascar
jasmine (
Stephanotis floribunda
) of bridal bouquet fame. Other natives are valued for
their uses rather than their aesthetic qualities. Recent interest has grown in Madagas-
car's various wild coffees (Rubiaceae family). Many are naturally caffeine-free and
hybrids with tastier coffees are currently being produced to exploit this trait. (Nat-
urally caffeine-free coffees are highly desirable because artificial decaffeination pro-
cesses tend to leave toxic residues in the finished product.)
The Madagascar rosy periwinkle (
Catharanthus roseus
) is a champion of those
who campaign to conserve natural habitats. The plant has a long history of medicinal
use the world over. In India, wasp stings were treated with juice from the leaves; in
Europe,itwaslongusedasafolkremedyfordiabetes;inHawaii,theplantwasboiled
to make a poultice to stop bleeding; in China, it was considered a cough remedy; in
Central and South America, it has also been used in homemade cold remedies to ease
lungcongestion,inflammationandsorethroats;andintheCaribbean,anextractofthe
flower was used to treat eye infections. Most importantly, however, it is now used in
chemotherapy. Substances called vinblastine and vincristine extracted from the rosy
periwinklehaveprovedeffectiveinthetreatmentofleukaemiaandHodgkin'sdisease.
There are certainly many other plants with equally life-saving chemical properties
yet to be found, but the rate of forest destruction may be driving these to extinction
before we have a chance to appreciate them or even discover the species at all.
