Baobab trees reach heights of 18-100 feet and have a huge trunk, often 25-35 feet in diameter, with limbs sticking out that are leafless most of the year. The oldest planted tree in Penang is a 149-year-old baobab tree that was planted in 1871 by a British explorer named Captain Speedy. If you’ve ever been to Africa, you’ll know how important the baobab tree is to local populations. The Penang Gaol (Penjara Pulau Pinang) as well as Barrack Road are "remnants" of the military presence in that area. It provides shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African region. In fact it’s often called the Tree of Life and Penang has its own – which is also a slice of history as it’s the oldest planted tree in Malaysia! ... the Mascarenes and Penang signals the forgotten history of African migrants to these places . People like Captain Speedy came to Penang in 1871. It provides shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African region. In 1873, he resigned to work for Ngah Ibrahim in Larut. A legacy of Captain Speedy is the baobab tree at the junction with Macalister Road, standing today as the oldest planted tree in Malaysia. The jail is still standing today, and is a functioning penitentiary known as the Penang Prison . – Madagascar baobab (Madagascar) Depending on the species baobabs can be up to 25 m tall and its trunks can have a diameter of up to 10m. That was when he planted the famous Penang Baobab Tree, which is still standing today, as the oldest planted tree in Malaysia. We say "believed to be" because the Baobab tree does not have rings. The most common baobab species is adansonia digitata, which grows across most of the African continent, in parts of the Arab Peninsula and the Penang area of Malaysia. Out of Africa: The Baobab Tree. We even have a published book Heritage Trees of Penang where 200 trees and the stories behind them are featured. Among the sepoy brought over to Penang was a troop enlisted by Captain Speedy, who also planted the Baobab Tree at the junction of Residency Road and Macalister Road. The baobab tree is known as the tree of life, with good reason. However, for some populations, samples were taken from up to 19 individuals. A. gibbosa) – boab, بائوباب استرالیایی , bottletree, cream-of-tartar-tree, gouty-stem ( شمال‌غربی استرالیا) Adansonia kilima Pettigrew, et al. It is sometimes also used as medicine. Descrição. With the field’s proximity to the Penang Turf Club, where the horses are kept, it was also used for a game of polo, which was probably how its name came about. Baobab is a tree native to Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and the Arabian Peninsula. Since baobab trees tend to occur as isolated individuals throughout their range rather than forming distinct populations, in many locations one tree was sampled. The baobab tree is known as the tree of life, with good reason. Polo Ground, also called Padang Polo (8 March 2009) – montane African baobab (eastern & southern Africa) Adansonia madagascariensis Baill. The Baobab tree has been around for thousands of years, and many Baobab trees are believed to be over 150 years old. It is commonly used as a source of water and food. As espécies do género Adansonia são árvores de copa compacta, decíduas, deixando cair a folha na estação seca, de tronco massivo, formando um paquicaule cilíndrico ou em forma de garrafa, repleto de nós, com diâmetros que atingem os 7 a 11 m, embora se conheçam exemplares isolados de muito maiores dimensões, e alturas que variam de 5 a 30 m. 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