Abstract
Very recent studies using chloroplast DNA phylogeography has reported that A. digitata probably originated in West Africa and migrated subsequently throughout the tropical parts of Africa, and beyond, by natural and human-mediated terrestrial and overseas dispersal. The natural geographical distribution of the African baobab comprises most of tropical Africa, but also small patches of southern Arabia, and several Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands surrounding the African continent, notably including Madagascar. In Africa, A. digitata is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was also introduced to Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Madagascar, Sao Tome, Zaire and introduced as park/garden trees elsewhere in the tropics.
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Lim, T.K. (2012). Adansonia digitata. In: Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8661-7_70
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