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51-625: According to the Kisra legend known all over Borgu, the petty kingdoms of the country were founded by Kisra, a hero who according to an oral tradition immigrated from Birnin Kisra ("the town of Kisra") in Arabia. His brothers are said to have been the founders of the kingdoms of Illo , Bussa and Nikki . Other descendants are believed to have constituted the ruling aristocracy of the Wasangari . During

102-459: A central tube (staminal tube) made up of fused stalks of stamens (filaments), with unfused filaments above. A densely hairy ovary is enclosed in the staminal tube, and a long style tipped with a stigma emerges from the filaments. Petals are set near the base of the staminal tube and are variable in shape and colour. The flowers, when fresh, may be white, cream, bright yellow or dark red, but fade quickly, often turning reddish when dried. The fruit of

153-555: A challenger to Mohammad, but instead as a Persian king who suffered a military defeat in Egypt to a Byzantine army. Following this defeat, Kisra and his army were unable to return to Persia and had to work further into Africa. His army settled briefly in Nubia and Ethiopia where Kisra joined forces with a powerful king in the region, Napata, to conquer lands to the West. His army migrated into

204-495: A dry, pulpy matrix. In the early 21st century, baobabs in southern Africa began to die off rapidly from a cause yet to be determined. It is unlikely that disease or pests would be able to kill many trees so rapidly, and some have speculated that the die-off is a result of dehydration . Baobabs are long-lived deciduous, small to large trees from 5 to 30 m (20 to 100 ft) tall with broad trunks and compact crowns. Young trees usually have slender, tapering trunks, often with

255-582: A few individuals of A. digitata . The Panke baobab in Zimbabwe was some 2,450 years old when it died in 2011, making it the oldest angiosperm ever documented, and two other trees— Dorslandboom in Namibia and Glencoe in South Africa—were estimated to be approximately 2,000 years old. Another specimen known as Grootboom was dated and found to be at least 1,275 years old. The Glencoe Baobab ,

306-518: A number of political and ethnic groups in modern Nigeria , Benin , and Cameroon , primarily the Borgu kingdom and the people of the Benue River valley. The migration legend depicts the arrival of a large military force in what is currently Northern Nigeria around the 7th Century AD. The Borgu kingdom claimed direct descent from the leader of this migration and a number of other polities recognize

357-610: A specimen of A. digitata in Limpopo Province , South Africa, was considered to be the largest living individual, with a maximum circumference of 47 m (154 ft) and a diameter of about 15.9 m (52 ft). The tree has since split into two parts, so the widest individual trunk may now be that of the Sunland Baobab , or Platland tree, also in South Africa. The diameter of this tree at ground level

408-550: A swollen base. Mature trees have massive trunks that are bottle-shaped or cylindrical and tapered from bottom to top. The trunk is made of fibrous wood arranged in concentric rings, although rings are not always formed annually and so cannot be used to determine the age of individual trees. Tree diameter fluctuates with rainfall so it is thought that water may be stored in the trunk. Baobab trees have two types of shoots—long, green vegetative ones, and stout, woody reproductive ones. Branches can be massive and spread out horizontally from

459-485: Is 9.3 m (31 ft) and its circumference at breast height is 34 m (112 ft). Two large baobabs growing in Tsimanampetsotse National Park were also studied using radiocarbon dating. One called Grandmother is made up of three fused trunks of different ages, with the oldest part of the tree an estimated 1,600 years old. The second, "polygamous baobab", has six fused stems, and

510-430: Is also known as the "upside down tree", a name that originates from several myths. They are among the most long-lived of vascular plants and have large flowers that are reproductive for a maximum of 15 hours. The flowers open around dusk, opening so quickly that movement can be detected by the naked eye, and are faded by the next morning. The fruits are large, oval to round and berry-like and hold kidney-shaped seeds in

561-711: Is an estimated 1,000 years old. The tree's leaves may be eaten as a leaf vegetable . The white pith in the fruit of the Australian baobab ( A. gregorii ) tastes like sherbet . It has an acidic, tart, citrus flavor. It is a good source of vitamin C , potassium, carbohydrates, and phosphorus. The dried fruit powder of A. digitata , baobab powder, contains about 11% water, 80% carbohydrates (50% fiber), and modest levels of various nutrients, including riboflavin , calcium , magnesium , potassium , iron, and phytosterols , with low levels of protein and fats. Vitamin C content, described as variable in different samples,

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612-639: Is needed to determine if recognition of them as a separate species is warranted. The genus Adansonia is further divided into three sections. Section Adansonia includes only A. digitata . This species has hanging flowers and fruit, set on long flowering stalks. This is the type species for the genus Adansonia . All species of Adansonia except A. digitata are diploid ; A. digitata is tetraploid . Section Brevitubae includes A. grandidieri and A. suarexensis . These are species with flower buds that set on short pedicles and that are approximately twice as long as wide. The other species are all classified within

663-594: Is not a native of that island. Baobabs were introduced in ancient times to south Asia and during the colonial era to the Caribbean. They are also present in the island nation of Cape Verde . A ninth species was described in 2012 ( Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, et al. ) but is no longer recognized as a distinct species. The African and Australian baobabs are similar in appearance, and the oldest splits within Adansonia are likely no older than 15 million years; thus,

714-531: The Kubitzki system 2003. There are eight accepted species of Adansonia . A new species ( Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, et al.), was described in 2012, found in high-elevation sites in eastern and southern Africa. This, however, is no longer recognized as a distinct species but considered a synonym of A. digitata . Some high-elevation trees in Tanzania show different genetics and morphology, but further study

765-518: The Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae . They are native to Madagascar , mainland Africa, and Australia. The trees have also been introduced to other regions such as Asia. A genomic and ecological analysis has suggested that the genus is Madagascan in origin. The generic name honours Michel Adanson , the French naturalist and explorer who described Adansonia digitata . The baobab

816-525: The Persian armies at that time, a lack of ecclesiastical historical corroboration, and no Christian or Mithraic symbols came with the migration. The Kisra legend is a very important folkloric tradition in many of the communities of contemporary Nigeria. The legend was a key part of developing clear cultural identity in Borgu and Kebbi as they resisted Songhai and Fulani dominance to the north. In addition,

867-556: The Arabian peninsula, eventually reaching the Niger river. Kisra's party visited many of the villages in the area before eventually founding the Borgu kingdom. In some versions of the legend, Kisra's oldest son Woru (or sometimes Kisra himself) founded the city of Bussa , which would become the capital of Borgu. Kisra's younger sons founded Nikki , founded by Shabi, and Illo , founded by Bio. In later versions, this order of foundation of

918-516: The Arabic أَبُو حِبَاب abū ḥibāb meaning "many-seeded fruit". The French explorer and botanist Michel Adanson (1727–1806) observed a baobab tree in 1749 on the island of Sor in Senegal, and wrote the first detailed botanical description of the full tree, accompanied with illustrations. Recognizing the connection to the fruit described by Alpini he called the genus Baobab. Linnaeus later renamed

969-513: The Australian species represents a long-distance trans- oceanic dispersal event from Africa. The lineage leading to Adansonia was found to have diverged from its closest relatives in Bombacoideae like Ceiba / Chorisia at the end of the Eocene, during a time of abrupt global climate cooling and drying, while a divergence of this Adansonia + Ceiba / Chorisia clade from Pachira

1020-621: The British Government divided Nigeria into Northern and Southern Protectorates. Borgu became part of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate . British posts were established along the Niger River and at Jebba , Zungeru , Lokoja and Illo, and a mail route was established between them for communication with Britain. In spite of their separation by the colonial border there are still many exchanges between

1071-795: The British colonial era, the area was within the territory claimed by the Royal Niger Company , but rivalry between Britain and France for control of the trade on the River Niger led to occupation of areas by the French, for instance at Illo, and the stationing of the British West African Frontier Force at Yashikera and elsewhere in the region. The matter was settled by the Anglo-French Delineation Agreement and later

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1122-546: The Niger river region and then followed a similar route as that described above with Kisra's party visiting a number of communities in the area and eventually settling in the Borgu area. Many communities in the area have some connection to the Kisra migration and the story is used in much of the folklore of the region. However, some cities claim direct connection to Kisra. These include: Anthropologists and historians have conducted significant oral history studies and material research to identify any correspondence of key parts of

1173-481: The Persian king Khosrau II or Chosroes . Some parts of the historical account do correspond with the timeline of Khosrau II who conquered Egypt in the early 7th century before being defeated by a Byzantine army and it is considered possible that some parts of the army were unable to return to Persia and so journeyed through Africa. Flora Shaw in contrast argued that Kisra was a mistranslation of "Christ" and that

1224-454: The axils of the leaves near the tips of reproductive shoots. Only A. digitata has flowers and fruits set on long, hanging stalks. There is usually only a single flower in an axil, but sometimes flowers occur in pairs. They are large, showy and strongly scented. They only open near dusk. Opening is rapid and movement of the flower parts is fast enough to be visible. Most Adansonia species are pollinated by bats. Flowers may remain attached to

1275-446: The baobabs is one of their distinguishing features. It is large, oval-to-round, and berry-like in most species (usually less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long in A. madagascariensis . ). It has a dry, hard outer shell of variable thickness. In most species, the shell is indehiscent (does not break open easily). A. gibbosa is the only species with fruits that crack while still on the tree, which then tend to break open upon landing on

1326-539: The base for a type of ice cream known as gelado de múcua . In Zimbabwe , the fruit of A. digitata is eaten fresh or the crushed crumbly pulp is stirred into porridge and drinks. In Tanzania , the dry pulp of A. digitata is added to sugarcane to aid fermentation in brewing (beermaking). The seeds of some species are a source of vegetable oil . The fruit pulp and seeds of A. grandidieri and A. za are eaten fresh. Some baobab species are sources of fiber , dye , and fuel . Indigenous Australians used

1377-408: The base of the flower. The inner surface of the lobes are silky-hairy and cream, pink, or red. Sometimes the lobes do not separate cleanly, distorting the shape of the flower as they bend back. The calyx lobes remain fused at the base, leaving a feature (calyx tube) that has nectar-producing tissue and that is cup-shaped, flat or tubular; the form of the calyx tube varies with species. The flowers have

1428-445: The city and a son was conceived, Muhammad. As Muhammad grew, he began trying to convert Kisra to Islam, but the ruler resisted. Eventually, this resulted in open warfare between Muhammad and Kisra over religious issues and Kisra won the initial conflict. However, as Muhammad fled to a baobab tree he was provided divine assistance for his escape and to reorganize his forces. Seeing that the tables had turned, Kisra and his followers left

1479-412: The different versions share a similar depiction of a large migration into the area along the Niger river in around the 7th Century, two of the most prominent versions of the story depict Kisra as a challenger to Muhammad on the Arabian peninsula or as a Persian ruler who suffered a military defeat in Egypt. However, in some versions Kisra is not an individual person but a generalized title for the leader of

1530-543: The genus Adansonia , to honour Adanson, but use of baobab as one of the common names has persisted. The genus Adansonia is in the subfamily Bombacoideae , within the family Malvaceae in the order Malvales . The subfamily Bombacoideae was previously treated as the Bombacaceae family but it is no longer recognized at the rank of family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group I 1998, II 2003 or

1581-517: The ground. Inside the outer shell, kidney-shaped seeds 10–15(−20) mm long are set in a dry pulp. The earliest written reports of baobab are from a 14th-century travelogue by the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta . The first botanical description was in the De medicina Aegyptiorum by Prospero Alpini (1592), looking at fruits that he observed in Egypt from an unknown source. They were called Bahobab , possibly from

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1632-586: The hypothesis that Kisra was actually Khosrau II, was seen as clear evidence for Egyptian, Nubian, Byzantine, or Persian influence into the development of West Africa. Without additional historical evidence though, the importance of the Kisra legend was often overemphasized. Books and Journal Articles Web Resources Adansonia See species section Adansonia is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( / ˈ b aʊ b æ b / or / ˈ b eɪ oʊ b æ b / ) or adansonias . They are placed in

1683-426: The largest ones in the middle and may be stalkless or with short petioles . Leaflets may have toothed or smooth edges, and may be hairless or have simple-to-clumped hairs. Baobabs have stipules at the base of the leaves, but the stipules are soon shed in most species. Baobabs are deciduous, shedding leaves during the dry season. In most Adansonia species, the flowers are borne on short erect or spreading stalks in

1734-459: The legend for each different community. The legend played a key role in many (now largely discredited) Hamitic theories of African political and social development. These theories argued that political development, namely the formation of complex states, had its origins in migrations of people from the Middle East or of Christian influences (often Coptic). The Kisra legend, and particularly

1785-460: The legend. These studies have come to different conclusions, with some suggesting that ideas of the Kisra migration were adopted by various African societies for sociopolitical reasons, and that "rather than by any specific migration, the idea of ‘Kisra’ was borne across the Sahara, to the areas where it took root in the form of the Kisra legends." Frobenius argued that the figure of Kisra was possibly

1836-669: The main cities of the Borgu kingdom is changed. The legend became crucial in the Borgu kingdom in uniting the different cities, legitimizing the ruling dynasty (the Wasangari), and providing an ideological distinction between Borgu and the Islamic states in the area. In 1909, the German anthropologist Leo Frobenius compiled an aggregate version of the Kisra legend from informants in the Benue river valley. This version depicts Kisra not as

1887-412: The migration as it moved across Africa. Versions also differ on other aspects of the story, namely whether or not Kisra himself founded any of the royal lines and the specifics of his death or magical disappearance. In the most prominent version of the story in the Borgu kingdom, Kisra is depicted as an early political and religious challenger to Muhammad in the area around Mecca. In this version, Kisra

1938-422: The migration legend was mostly of Christian origin. C.K. Moss instead contends that Kisra was more likely a Songhai or Mossi king who rose to prominence in the 15th century. In summarizing this work, historian Daniel McCall finds that although there is no clear evidence disproving any of these arguments, there are significant problems with all of them, including: the migrating army is said to use armor not used by

1989-418: The migration through ceremony and formal regalia. There are a number of different versions of the legend with Kisra sometimes being depicted as a religious and military rival to Muhammad near Mecca around the time that Islam was founded and sometimes as the remnant forces of a Persian king defeated in Egypt. The legend was a key piece of evidence in a number of Hamitic historical theories which argued that

2040-431: The native species A. gregorii for several products, making string from the root fibers and decorative crafts from the fruits. Baobab oil from the seed is also used in cosmetics, particularly in moisturizers . Baobab trees hold cultural and spiritual significance in many African societies. They are often the sites of communal gatherings, storytelling, and rituals. An unusual baobab was the namesake of Kukawa , formerly

2091-404: The oldest and largest baobabs began to die in the early 21st century, likely from a combination of drought and rising temperatures. The trees appear to become parched , then become dehydrated and unable to support their massive trunks. Baobabs are important as nest sites for birds, in particular the mottled spinetail and four species of weaver . Radiocarbon dating has provided data on

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2142-474: The petty kingdoms of Borgu situated in Benin and Nigeria . The three major kingdoms are Bussa , Illo and Nikki . Bussa is traditionally considered to be the spiritual centre of Borgu, Nikki the centre of political power and Illo the commercial emporium. 11°00′N 3°30′E  /  11.0°N 3.5°E  / 11.0; 3.5 Kisra legend The Kisra legend is a migration story shared by

2193-513: The political development of societies in sub-Saharan Africa was the result of contacts with societies from the Middle East (namely Egypt, Rome, and the Byzantine Empire ). Whether the legend has a historical basis has been questioned by modern scholarship. The legend is shared by many different political and ethnic entities throughout what is currently northern Nigeria and has provided important linkages between these communities. Although

2244-414: The regions of Darfur and the state of Kordofan . The locals call it "Gongolaze" and use its fruits as food and medicine and use the tree trunks as reservoirs to save water. Baobabs store water in the trunk (up to 120,000 litres or 32,000 US gallons) to endure harsh drought conditions. All occur in seasonally arid areas, and are deciduous , shedding their leaves during the dry season. Across Africa,

2295-487: The section Longitubae. They also have flowers/fruits set on short pedicels, but the flower buds are five or more times as long as wide. As of July 2020 , there are eight recognized species of Adansonia, with six endemic to Madagascar , one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one native to Australia. The mainland African species ( Adansonia digitata ) also occurs on Madagascar, but it

2346-427: The shared Kisra legend facilitated trade and peace treaties between the various ethnic and political communities in the area. Most notably, Borgu and Bornu and Borgu and Kebbi maintained productive trade relations for centuries often facilitated by Kisra traditions of gift exchange. After British control of Nigeria around 1900, administrative change and competition in the new governmental structures led to changes in

2397-471: The trees for several days, but the reproductive phase is very short, with pollen shed during the first night and stigmas shriveled by the morning. The flower is made up of an outer 5-lobed calyx, and an inner ring of petals set around a fused tube of stamens. The outer lobes of the calyx are usually green (brown in A. grandidieri ) and in bud are joined almost to the tip. As the flower opens, the calyx lobes split apart and become coiled or bent back (reflexed) at

2448-746: The trunk or are ascending. Adansonia gregorii is generally the smallest of the baobabs, rarely getting to over 10 m (33 ft) tall and often with multiple trunks. Both A. rubrostipa and A. madagascariensis are small to large trees, from 5 to 20 m (16 to 66 ft) tall. The other baobabs grow from 25 to 30 m (80 to 100 ft) tall, with 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) diameter trunks. A. digitata , however, often has massive single or multiple trunks of up to 10 m (33 ft) diameter. Leaves are palmately compound in mature trees, but seedlings and regenerating shoots may have simple leaves. The transition to compound leaves comes with age and may be gradual. Leaves have 5–11 leaflets, with

2499-407: Was a prominent leader and possessed a number of magical powers. However, during his rule, a seer foresaw that his power would eventually be undermined by a child born within the city who would have divine powers. To prevent this challenge, Kisra exiled all the men of his city on the date that the seer had predicted the baby to be conceived; however, the husband of Aminatu, Kisra's daughter, remained in

2550-606: Was found to be more ancient, dating to the middle Eocene. The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests . Within that biome , Adansonia madagascariensis and A. rubrostipa occur specifically in the Anjajavy Forest , sometimes growing out of the tsingy limestone itself. A. digitata has been called "a defining icon of African bushland". The tree also grows wild in Sudan in

2601-515: Was in a range of 74 to 163 milligrams (1.14 to 2.52 gr) per 100 grams (3.5 oz) of dried powder. In 2008, baobab dried fruit pulp was authorized in the EU as a safe food ingredient , and later in the year was granted GRAS ( generally recognized as safe ) status in the United States. In Angola , the dry fruit of A. digitata is usually boiled, and the broth is used for juices or as

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