Adansonia

Adansonia is a genus made up of eight species of medium to large deciduous trees known as baobabs (/ˈbeɪoʊˌbæb/). Previously classified within the family Bombacaceae, they are now placed in the Malvaceae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa[2] and Australia.[3] Trees have also been introduced to other regions such as Asia.[2][4][5] The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described Adansonia digitata.[6] The baobab is also known as the “upside down tree”, a name that originates from several myths.[7] They are among the most long-lived of vascular plants[8] and have large flowers that are reproductive for a maximum of 15 hours.[9] The flowers open around dusk; opening so quickly that movement can be detected by the naked eye and are faded by the next morning.[9] The fruits are large, oval to round and berry-like and hold kidney-shaped seeds in a dry, pulpy matrix.

In the early 21st century, baobabs in southern Africa began to die off rapidly from a cause yet to be determined. Scientists believe it is unlikely that disease or pests were able to kill many trees so rapidly, and some speculated that the die-off was a result of dehydration from global warming.[10][11]