Baobab trees are often the cultural center of African villages and are the emblematic symbol of Madagascar ecosystems to the rest of the world. Of the nine species of Baobab trees that make up the genus Adansonia (Bombacaceae), six species are endemic to Madagascar, one is endemic to Australia and two species are widespread throughout continental Africa, the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. These trees are enigmas in many ways: they have lifespans of over 1,000 years and their trunks can hold between 10,000 to 100,000+ L of water despite living in extremely dry habitats. The engorged trunks that allow massive water storage give these trees their namesake – the wooden elephant. Local origin stories attribute the abnormal growth form of Baobab came to the planting of an upside-down seed or an upside down tree. More likely is that shortened branches and trunk cavities reflect adaptation to desert-like ecosystems. The trees received their scientific name from the French botanist Michel Adanson, who also swore by the health benefits of Baobab juice. The widespread species Adansonia digitata is still widely used as a source of fiber and nutrition – the pulp of the fruit contains 50% higher calcium than spinach and 3X the vitamin C of orange juice. These ethnobotanical benefits of A. digitata may have led to its widespread distribution. Trees found across the India and Indonesia are most closely related to trees from former slave trading hotspots, and this dispersal is associated with popular slave trading routes.

--Nic Kooyers