The Oldest Living Tree, Also The Tree Of Life Has Been Found In Africa
The Sunland Boabab Tree of Life in South Africa is considered the oldest living tree to be inexistence even to this day. Other species of Boabab Tree can be found in other parts of Africa. In one study the tree was carbon-dated and found to be an estimated 1,060 years old, plus or minus 75 years.
The earliest written reports of baobab are from a 14th century travelogue by the Arab traveler Ibn Batuta. The first botanical description was by Alpino (1592) looking at fruits that he observed in Egypt from an unknown source. They were called Bahobab, possibly from the Arabic “bu hibab,” meaning “many-seeded fruit”.
Also the French explorer and botanist, Michel Adanson (1727–1806) observed a baobab tree in 1749 on the island of Sor, Senegal and wrote the first detailed botanical description of the full tree, accompanied with illustrations.
Recognizing the connection to the fruit described by Alpino he called the genus Baobab. Linnaeus later renamed the genus Adansonia, to honour Adason, but use of baobab as one of the common names has persisted.
Over time, the Baobab has adapted to its environment. It is a succulent, which means that during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a nutrient – dense fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid. This is how it became known as “The Tree of Life”.
Baobab trees can live for more than a thousand years and provide food, livestock fodder, medicinal compounds, and raw materials. Baobab trees are incredibly significant.
It has an acidic, tart, citrus flavor. It is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, carbohydrates, and phosphorus.
Some baobab species are sources of fiber, dye, and fuel. Baobab oil from the seed is also used in cosmetics, particularly in moisturizers.
