Unfinished Business

A great deal is now known about the baobabs but as this compilation has shown, there are still very large gaps in our knowledge. Some questions are raised here but those readers with a more intimate knowledge of the disciplines discussed in the text may ask others.

The early Egyptian and Turkish medical books should be examined for early references to the baobab fruit. What names were used for the fruit?

Süleymân the Magnificent presented baobab fruits and terra lemnia as gifts to departing dignitaries. Did the Turks know of the baobab’s medicinal qualities, or did the fruit have a scarcity value? Both gifts were readily available to Süleymân since both Egypt and Limnos were within the Ottoman Empire.