1556

2: Edible fruits and nuts

Adansonia digitata L.

BOMBACACEAE

General: baobab.

Origin in tropical Africa. Occasionally cultivated in dry regions of the tropics. In South-East Asia cultivated in Java and in the Philippines.

All parts of this famous African tree can be used. In Java it is cultivated for its edible fruits and as a shade tree.

A thornless, deciduous, very peculiar tree, up to 18 m tall, trunk short, bulging, bottle-shaped. Fruit an oblong or subclavate indehiscent capsule, 25—35 cm x 10—16 cm, woody, with pulpy, mildly acid sarcocarp. Normally in dry savanna land. In Africa very large and old specimens occur (several thousand years old). Flowers open at night, pollination is effected by bats.

[3]Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R.C., 1963–1968. Flora of Java. 3 Volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands.
[13]Corner, E.J.H., 1988. Wayside trees of Malaya. 3rd ed. 2 Volumes. The Malaysian Nature Society. United Selangor Press, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 774 pp.
[51]Mansfeld, R. & Schultze-Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.
[99]Wickens, G.E., 1982. The baobab, Africa's upside-down tree. Kew Bulletin 37: 173–209.

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen

Jansen, P.C.M., Jukema, J., Oyen, L.P.A. & van Lingen, T.G., 1991. Adansonia digitata L.. In: Verheij, E.W.M. and Coronel, R.E. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2: Edible fruits and nuts. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea