Home Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
baobab
baobab
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
fony baobab Baobab trees growing in the wooded-grassland area of Senegal in West Africa. baobab baobab fruit Avenue of the Baobabs Grandidier's baobab
For Students
baobab summary
Quizzes
Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
Read Next
Flower bingo
Britannica’s Flower Bingo
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
Flower bingo
Britannica’s Flower Bingo
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
Discover
Alexander the Great on his deathbed
How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?
American bison (Bison bison) also known as buffalo or plains buffalo on the prairie, western U.S.
What’s the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart rehearsing his 12th Mass with singer and musician. (Austrian composer. (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
7 Famous Child Prodigies
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)
New Seven Wonders of the World
illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum
Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs
Alexandria, Egypt - September 12, 2014 - Wedding Bridesmaids Competition, reward for Best Bridesmaids for participation in competitions. Prize for victory
Who Votes for the Academy Awards?
tree genus
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/plant/baobab-tree-genus
Also known as: Adansonia
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
fony baobab
fony baobab
See all media
Category: Animals & Nature
Related Topics:
Grandidier’s baobab
baobab
boab
Adansonia suarezensis
Adansonia perrieri
See all related content →

baobab, (genus Adansonia), genus of nine species of deciduous trees of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae). Six of the species (Adansonia grandidieri, A. madagascariensis, A. perrieri, A. rubrostipa, A. suarezensis, and A. za) are endemic to Madagascar, two (A. digitata and A. kilima) are native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one (A. gregorii) is native to northwestern Australia. They have unusual barrel-like trunks and are known for their extraordinary longevity and ethnobotanical importance. Given their peculiar shape, an Arabian legend has it that “the devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its branches into the earth, and ...(100 of 637 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.