Adansonia digitata - Bombacaceae - African Baobab - The famous Baobab or "upside down" tree from tropical Africa (a.k.a. Judas Fruit, because it has 30 seeds). The spongy acid pulp has been used as a substitute for Parmesan cheese on pasta - no cholesterol! Facetiously called the "Dead Rat Tree" because its furry fruits resemble rats strung up by their tails. this is one of the longest lived and largest trees in the world - so large that they have been used as jails in Africa. This tree has beautiful creamy white flowers that hang down and are pollinated by bats. Also known as the "TREE of LIFE" popularized by Disney in the Lion King and their new amusement park.

One of our readers, LRG from South Florida, inputs these additions: I have just read a really wonderful book about BAOBABS.  You might want to update the blurb about them since they are used in so many ways:

BARK:  macerated for ropes, harness, fishing lines, nets, baskets, flattened and used for roof tile, bark cloth, waterproof hats, eaten by a variety of animals; regrows easily similar to cork oak  FLOWERS & LEAVES:  eaten by people as a salad; animals   SEEDS:  eaten raw or roasted, also used as coffee substitute  PITH:  used to make a sort of 'lemonade' when mixed with water rich in Vitamin C sort of a sherbet consistency, baking substitute for cream of tartar  SEED PODS: made into cups, snuff boxes and even fishing floats, castanets, soap from the ash of the burnt pods

Australian and Mexican cultivars flowers are erect; others are pendant.  Different pollinators and scents, therefore.  Moth v bat; perfumed v carrion 

Gathering place in many ways - sacred trees; a wonderful resting place since their limbs support much; unfortunately have been hollowed to make taverns, jails, bus stop 

The book is called The Remarkable Baobab.  Thomas Pakenham  WW Norton & Co  NY, London ISBN 0-393-05989-8 should anyone be interested in purchasing it.  There's even a picture of one of the FTG ones with Mike standing near it.  He's mentioned as well! 

It mentions not only digitata, but also gibbosa, grandidieri, madagascariensis, perrieri, rubrostipa, suarezansis, and za