गोरक्षी Baobab

Description:

The trees usually grow as solitary individuals, and are large and distinctive trees on the savannah, in the scrub, and near settled areas, with some large individuals living to well over a thousand years of age. The tree bears very large, heavy, white flowers. The showy flowers are pendulous with a very large number of stamens. They carry a carrion scent and researchers have shown that they appear to be primarily pollinated by fruit bats of the subfamily Pteropodinae. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries, hardens, and falls to pieces which look like chunks of powdery, dry bread. The specific epithet digitata refers to the fingers of a hand, which the five leaflets (typically) in each cluster bring to mind. The baobab is a traditional food plant in Africa, but is little-known elsewhere. The vegetable has has been suggested to have the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development, and support sustainable land care.

Notes:

This particular tree is more than 180years old at Girnar, Junagadh,