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Scientific Name | Adansonia digitata L. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | MALVACEAE |
Synonyms | Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, K.L.Bell, Bhagw., Grinan, Jillani, Jean Mey., Wabuyele & C.E.Vickers, Adansonia situla (Lour.) Spreng. |
Common Names | Baobab (a), Cream-of-tartar-tree (e), Kremetartboom (a), Kremetatboom (a), Krimetatboom (a), Lemonade Tree (e), Muvhuyu (v), Tartaric Acid Tree (e), Umkhomo (nd) |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2023/08/15 |
Assessor(s) | N.N. Mhlongo |
Justification | This species is widespread and common and has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 79 370 km². It is known from more than 30 subpopulations and has no threats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern. |
Distribution |
Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa |
Provincial distribution | Limpopo, Mpumalanga |
Range | This species occurs in the dry, hot savannah of sub-Saharan Africa and is found in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Sudan and South Africa and most other African countries. In South Africa, it is commonly found in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Mopane Basalt Shrubland, Musina Mopane Bushveld, Granite Lowveld, Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld, Limpopo Sweet Bushveld |
Description | It is commonly found in the thorn of woodlands of African savannas, typically at low altitudes with between four and 10 dry months per year. This species prefers growing as solitary individuals but may be found growing in small groups, depending on the soil type. It prefers shallow sand and is sensitive to waterlogging and frost. |
Threats |
| This species is currently not threatened. However, baobab fruit harvesting and the effects of climate change may negatively affect future recruitment and increase the mortality of trees (Venter and Witkowski, 2010). |
Population |
Citizen scientists on the iNaturalist platform have posted 530 observations of this species between 2008 and 2023, spanning its known range. From these observations, we infer that the population is locally common, stable, and not declining.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, K.L.Bell, Bhagw., Grinan, Jillani, Jean Mey., Wabuyele & C.E.Vickers | Least Concern | 2014.1 | | Adansonia digitata L. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Coates Palgrave, K. 1977. Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
Govaerts, R. 1996. World Checklist of Seed Plants 1, 2:1-492, MIM, Deurne.
Pettigrew, J.D., Bell, K.L., Bhagwandin, A., Grinan, E., Jillani, N., Meyer, J., Wabuyele, E. and Vickers, C.E. 2012. Morphology, ploidy and molecular phylogenetics reveal a new diploid species from Africa in the baobab genus Adansonia (Malvaceae: Bombacoideae). Taxon 61(6):1240-1250.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
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Citation |
| Mhlongo, N.N. 2023. Adansonia digitata L. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/07 |
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