Revealing the roots of the upside-down hardwood

A RABIAN LEGEND states:

Fl "The devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its branches into the earth, and left its roots in the air."

This, as aptly as any other explanation could, perfectly describes the unique baobab (Andansonia digitald), with its long, tangled branches stretching out to the sky, resembling a massive root system.

The hardwood grows in low altitudes in the hot, dry grasslands of Africa. It is a member of the Bombacaceae family, related to the kapok, balsawood and cacao families. The baobab is also known as the monkeybread tree or the Cream of Tartar tree because of the tartaric acid that comes from its fruit pods.

Typically, a baobab may reach 60 feet in height and more rhan 30 feet in width. Its branches will grow more than 30 feet out from the trunk and its roots may spread out as far as 300 feet away.

As strange as it looks, the baobab is an extremely valuable tree. with nearly every part of some use to man. The seeds can be ground and roasted to make a coffee-like drink. The pulp of the tree itself can be made into a seasoning, which then can be mixed with water to produce a refreshing beverage. The pulp is also used commercially, as a coagulant for rubber.

Story at a Glance

Baobab's branches resemble far-reaching roots. African hardwood grows over 60 feet high and 30 feet wide. almost every part of the tree is useful.

The tree produces sausage-shaped fruit, 6 to 10 inches long and 4 inches wide, that are eaten by wild animals and natives. Pulp of the fruit can be used as a leaven for bread, and the fruit's outer covering can be used in the manufacture of fertilizer, soap and plaster. Fresh leaves have been used as a vegetable, and dried leaves as condiments and seasoning.

The fibrous bark of the baobab, often up to 3 inches thick, is used to make paper, cloth, clothing, rope, fishnets, drinking vessels, and in the making of certain musical instruments.

The barrel-like trunks are often excavated to serve as temporary shelters or water reserves. At 90 feet in circumference, a trunk can store up to 25,000 gallons of water.

When baobabs die, they collapse into a huge fibrous mass which decomposes quickly. The mass has even been know to burst into flames through spontaneous combustion.

Everything about the tree seems foreign and ancient. Its name, having existed since Biblical times, originated in a language of equatorial Africa. But although the baobab is native to Africa, it is grown as a curiosity in other warm areas, including Florida.

News Briefs

(Continued from Page 18)

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