Baobab tree, the giant trees of Africa. Adansonia is the national tree of the island of Madagascar, which lies off the coast of Africa. There are nine species in all, with two of them growing on the mainland of Africa. The tree can reach a height of 5 to 30 metres (16-98 ft) and its trunk diameter to 7 to 11 metres ( 23 to 36 ft). With its large trunk, it can store up to 120,000 litres of water. Tapping of the water during the drier seasons is typical. Its cork-like bark and large stem are fire resistant therefore used for making cloth and rope. For most of the year, it is leafless, looks almost dead and resembles its roots. A Mature tree is usually hollow, providing shelter and living space for many animals and humans. The fruit of the tree is edible with its velvety shell and the size of a coconut; it tastes somewhat like grapefruit, pear and vanilla. Still unknown and disputed is the Baobab trees longevity, with some claim to being thousands of years old.
One painting and a lithographic linocut of the Baobab tree.
Jacob Hendrik Pierneef was one of the most prominent South African landscape artists whose modernist and geometric style revolutionized South African art in the early 20th century. Gererally he was concisered one of the best of the old South African masters. Born in Pretoria 1886 - 1957
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