Isibonakaliso sokuphila ezigodini zase-Afrika, i-giant baobab ingokwezifiso ze- Adansonia , iqembu lezihlahla eziqukethe izinhlobo eziyisishiyagalolunye ezihlukahlukene. Izinhlobo ezimbili kuphela, i- Adansonia digitata ne- Andansionia kilima , zihlala ezweni lase-Afrika, kanti izihlobo zazo eziyisithupha zitholakala eMadagascar nakwe- Australia. Nakuba i-baobab's genus isincane, isihlahla ngokwawo asifani neze.
Lona yi-monster ehlathini lase-Afrika, i-giants elikhulu elinamaphiko eliqhamuka phezu kwe-acacia scrubland eliphakamisa amagatsha alo anjengeMedusa ngaphezu kwesigubhu.
Kungenzeka ukuthi akulona ode njengokhuni olubomvu, kepha inqwaba enkulu yenza kube nzima kakhulu emthini omkhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni. I-Adansonia digitata ingafinyelela ngamamitha angu-25/25 ubude, namamitha angu-14/14 ububanzi.
I-Baobabs ivame ukubhekwa njengezihlahla ezihlaselwe phansi, ngenxa yokubukeka kwezimpande ezifana namagatsha abo amathanga. Zitholakala kulo lonke izwekazi lase-Afrika, nakuba uhla lwazo lukhawulelwe yizintandokazi zokushisa, izimo ezincane ezishisayo. Baye bangeniswa ngaphandle kwezilwandle, futhi manje bangatholakala emazweni afana ne-India, i-China ne-Oman. I-Baobabs manje sekuyaziwa ukuthi idlula iminyaka engu-1 500.
I-Sunland Baobab
I- Adansonia digitata baobab enkulu kunazo zonke ekhona kuthiwa i-Sunland Baobab, e-Modjadjiskloof, esifundazweni saseLimpopo . Lesi sibonelo esiphuthumayo sinokuphakama kwamamitha angu-19 / amamitha angu-19, nobubanzi bamamitha angu-34.9 / 10.6 amamitha. Esimweni sayo esikhulu kunazo zonke, isiqu se-Sunland Baobab sinesisindo esingamamitha angu-33,5 / 33.4.
Isihlahla sinezikhathi eziningi zokufinyelela ububanzi bayo bokurekhoda, ngokubambisana kwekhabhoni okukunikeza iminyaka engaba ngu-1 700 iminyaka. Ngemva kokufinyelela eminyakeni eyi-1 000, ama-baobabs aqala ukungena ngaphakathi, futhi abanikazi be-Sunland Baobab basebenzise kakhulu lesi sici sokwemvelo ngokudala i-bar ne-wine cellar ngaphakathi.
Isihlahla sokuPhila
I-baobab inempahla eminingi ewusizo, echaza ukuthi kungani iyaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi yi-Tree of Life. Iziphatha njenge-giant esiphundu futhi kuya ku-80% we-trunk amanzi. Ama-San bushmen asetshenziselwa ukuthembela emithini njengomthombo obalulekile wamanzi lapho imvula yehluleka futhi imifula isomile. Isihlahla esisodwa singabamba amalitha angama-4 500 (1,189 amalitha), kanti isikhungo esingenalutho sesihlahla esidala singakunikeza futhi indawo yokuhlala yokubaluleka.
Amagxolo nenyama alula, ayenamathele futhi angenakuvutha umlilo futhi angasetshenziselwa ukugoqa intambo nendwangu. Imikhiqizo ye-Baobab nayo isetshenziselwa ukwenza isepha, i-raber ne-glue; kuyilapho amagxolo namaqabunga asetshenziselwa imithi yendabuko. I-baobab ingumniki wokuphila wezilwane zase-Afrika zasendle, futhi, ngokuvamile zidala imvelo yayo. Inikeza ukudla nokukhosela izinhlobo eziningi zezinhlobo, kusukela ezinambuzane ezincane kunazo zonke kuya kwizindlovu ezinkulu zase-Afrika.
I-Superfruit Yanamuhla
Izithelo ze-Baobab zifana ne-velvet-ehlanganisiwe, i-oblong gourd futhi igcwele imbewu emnyama emnyama ehambisana ne-tart, kancane kancane i-puldery pulp. Abantu baseNtshonalanga baseAfrika bavame ukubhekisela ku-baobab njenge-monkey-bread-tree, futhi bayazi ngezinzuzo zezempilo zokudla izithelo namaqabunga amakhulu eminyaka. Amaqabunga amancane angadliwa futhi adliwe njengenye indlela esipinashi, kanti isithelo se-pulp sivame ukugxila, bese sihlanganiswa isiphuzo.
Muva nje, izwe laseNtshonalanga lihlabelele izithelo ze-baobab njenge-superfruit ephezulu, ngenxa yamazinga aphezulu e-calcium, ensimbi, e-potassium nase-Vitamin C. Ezinye imibiko ithi izimpande zesithelo zinezikhathi eziphindwe izikhathi eziyishumi u-Vitamin C. ama-oranges amasha. Ine-calcium engama-50% ngaphezu kwesipinashi, futhi kunconywa ukuqina kwesibonda, ukulahlekelwa isisindo nokuthuthukisa impilo enhle yempilo.
Ama-Legends we-Baobab
Kunezindaba eziningi namasiko azungeze i-baobab. Eceleni koMfula iZambezi , izizwe eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi i-baobab yaqala ukuqina, kodwa yayizibheka kangcono kakhulu kunezihlahla ezincane ezizungeze ukuthi ekugcineni onkulunkulu banquma ukufundisa ababafundi isifundo. Bayihlwitha futhi bayitshala phansi, ukuze bayeke ukuziqhenya kwabo futhi bafundise ukuthobeka komuthi.
Kwezinye izindawo, izihlahla ezithile zinezindaba ezithintekayo. I-Kafue National Park yaseZambia inemikhumbi enkulu kakhulu, lapho abantu bendawo bazi khona njengeKondanamwali (umuthi odla amantombazane). Ngokusho komlando, lesi sihlahla sathandana namantombazane amane asendaweni, owagwema lesihlahla futhi wafuna amadoda angabantu esikhundleni sakhe. Ekuphindiseleleni, lesi sihlahla sasithinta izintombi ngaphakathi kwayo futhi sazigcina khona kuze kube phakade.
Kwesinye indawo, kukholelwa ukuthi ukugeza umfana omncane esihlahleni lapho i-baobab bark ifakwe khona kuzomsiza ukuba akhule futhi ade; kanti abanye babambelela isiko ukuthi abesifazane abahlala endaweni ye-baobab cishe bayakhula kakhulu kunelabo abahlala endaweni abangenawo ama-baobabs. Ezindaweni eziningi, izihlahla ezinkulu ezihlala zikhona njengezibonakaliso zomphakathi, nendawo yokuqoqa.
I-Order ye-Baobab iyihlonipho yesizwe saseNingizimu Afrika, esungulwa ngo-2002. Inikezwa umongameli waseNingizimu Afrika njalo ngonyaka izakhamizi ngenkonzo evelele emkhakheni wezamabhizinisi kanye nomnotho; isayensi, imithi, kanye nemishini emisha; noma isevisi yomphakathi. Labizwa ngokuqaphela ukukhuthazela kwe-baobab, nokubaluleka kwamasiko nezemvelo.
Lesi sihloko sibuyekezwe nguJessica Macdonald ngo-Agasti 16, 2016.