Desert Plants, Volume 25, Number 1 (June 2009) Item Type Article Publisher University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) Journal Desert Plants Rights Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona. Download date 10/10/2021 15:18:44 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/556546 Desert Volume 25, Number 1 June 2009 Published by The University of Plants Arizona for Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum High Biodiversity in Association with the Common Baobab Tree Lyndsay Hellekson 3 Cultivation of Carnegiea gigantea from Seeds: a .Journey in Desert Ecology Enrico Ceotto 10 What is in a N arne - Legumes of Arizona - An Illustrated Flora and Reference Mark Siegwarth and Kirsten Lake 17 Enhancement of Nitraria retusa Growth by Rhizospheric Microbial Inoculum Z. Baroon, A. Yateem, and T. Al-Surrayai 21 Monitoring Update on Five Listed Plants and One Candidate Species on the Arizona Strip Lee E. Hughes 27 How to Photograph Desert Plants and Flowers Joanne West 35 Baobab in Namibia (T. Edwards) 2 Desert Plants Desert Plants Volume 25, Number 1, June 2009 A journal devoted to broadening knowledge of plants Published by The University of Arizona for the indigenous or adapted to arid and sub-arid regions and to Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum encouraging the appreciation of these plants. 37615 E. Highway 60 Superior, AZ 85273 Margaret A. Norem, Editor 2120 E. Allen Road Copyright 2009 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Tucson, AZ 85719 The University of Arizona (520) 393-8759 [email protected] The Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum at Suprior, Arizona is cooperatively managed by the Arizona State Note from Mark Siegwarth, Executive Director. .. Parks Board, Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, When asked how I enjoy being the Director at the Boyce Inc., and The University of Arizona. Thompson Arboretum, I used to reply that very few people have a chance to live their dreams and I am very fortunate for Underwriters doing so. The next question was invariably about how would 1. Animas Foundation I change things at the Arboretum and I would reply that any 2. Arid Zone Trees changes would be in keeping with the Colonel's original 3. David Brown vision. It took several months for me to realize that what 4. Frank Ellis I have done was embrace the Colonel's dream and make it 5. Michal Glines my own. At a certain point, dreams, ideas or programs that 6. Mary & Gary Irish withstand the test of time become institutions, something 7. Matthew B. Johnson & Patricia A. Rorabaugh bigger than the person who started it or who presently works 8. Greayer Mansfield-Jones there. With 80 years behind it, the Arboretum has become 9. Ed Marshall an institution and I more of a steward, than someone trying 10. JosephA. Meeker to change its direction. 11. Lee J. Miller 12. Nancy Norem In trying to come up with a short introduction to this issue 13. Bob Pape of Desert Plants, I was surprised that the publication is 14. R.T. Ramage currently celebrating 30 years. It also has become an 15. Alan P. Romspert institution and I would like to congratulate all those who 16. Mark & Jane Siegwarth have made that possible. In particular, Phil Upchurch who 17. E. Linwood Smith conceived the idea of Desert Plants, Frank Crosswhite, 18. Keith & Brenda Taylor the first editor of Desert Plants, Bill Feldman, the Director 19. Lori Jones Woods of Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Margaret Norem the 20. Brett Woywood second and current editor. Supporters Having been a subscriber for many years, I looked forward 1. Emeline Angevine 16. R. Roy Johnson & to every issue because there was always a mixture of articles. 2. Michael Baker Lois Haight Being a partnership with Boyce Thompson Arboretum and 2. Jeanne Bensema 17. Bill Little the University of Arizona, I could count on learning things, 3. Louis Biagi 18. James Mandaville both in a macro and a micro sense. Detailed information on 4. John M. Bridges 19. Chris Marshall saguaros, the flora of the San Pedro riparian area or even 5. Bronson Joy Brown 20. Paul S. Martin the flora of Namibia has been featured in the last few years. 6. Justin Congdon & 21. Edward A. Marne I never knew what to expect as far as content, but I knew I Nancy Dickson 22. Douglas R. Newton would treasure each issue. 7. Mary Peace Douglas 23. Ken Pavlicek 8. Thomas Eddy 24. John Rumely As the new Director at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, I want 9. Theodore Esslinger 25. David Steadman to reinforce that partnership and help Dr. Norem bring a 10. Kay Fowler 26. Laurel Woodley range of articles that will interest scholar and layman alike. 11. Thomas Friedlander 27. James R. Youse The articles will keep you up to date on what the Arboretum 12. Brooke Gebow has done, is doing and hopes to do as well what else is 13. Judith Gray & happening in the arid world. This is in keeping with the Brian McCarthy Colonel's original vision for the arboretum, which was to 14. David Hall study the plants of arid lands and make the results available 15. Lisa Huckell to the general public. Enjoy and I hope you treasure this and every issue. Hellekson Baobab 3 High Biodiversity in fruit bats (Pakenham 2005). Once the fruits form they are important food sources for many animal species. Rosy­ Association with the Common Faced Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis), Ruppell's Parrots (Poicephalus rueppellii), Vervet Monkeys ( Chlorocebus Baobab Tree pygerythrus), and Yellow Baboons (Papio cynocephalus), are just a few of the many animals known to eat baobab Lyndsay Hellekson fruits. The University of Arizona Site Description School ofNatural Resources The study area was near the campground at Epupa Falls, Biological Sciences East Namibia. More specifically, it was 1 km south of the Kunene Tucson AZ 85721 River's banks on the border ofNamibia and Angola, in a dry ravine (map p. 4). The aspect of the study site was northeast At first glance the common baobab tree does not seem that with an azimuth of75 degrees, the slope was relatively gentle unusual. Upon further inspection one tree in Namibia proved at 17 degrees and the GPS coordinates in map datum Nad83 that they can in fact be quite unique. In five days time, 248 are Zone 33 South, 314678 Basting 8119576 Northing. The cavities were discovered in the tree, 4 gecko species turned baobab itself was relatively small in comparison to those out to be permanent residents, and 24 different bird species located closer to the river. Its circumference was 4 7 feet and used the tree. The cavities housed 4 bird nests, 4 gecko nests the height was approximately 21 feet. However, four of the (2 with egg shells), and a carnivore den, wasp nests, termite branches were over 3 feet in diameter, adding a great deal tracks, and countless spider webs. The study was too short of surface area to the tree. in duration to make any sweeping conclusions, but it hints at the possibility that baobabs may be linked to high animal The surrounding area's vegetation type is classified as biodiversity. arid savannah woodland. Savannas are most commonly defined as tropical seasonal ecosystems with a continuous Introduction and Background herbaceous cover and a discontinuous cover of trees (Belsky The baobab tree is part of the Bombacaceae family which 1990). The arid savannah areas in Namibia are further comprises 30 different genera of tree species. Four of broken into 3 more specific vegetation type classifications: these are classified as succulents including the genus of bushveld, lowveld, and thorn veld. The study site falls within the baobabs, Adansonia (Baum 2004). The baobabs are the thomveld. regarded as the largest succulent plants in the world by most botanists. The genus comprises only 8 species, 6 of which are found only on the island of Madagascar. There is one species each on the continents ofAfrica and Australia. Long distance dispersal via the ocean may explain the presence of this unique tree in Australia and Africa (Baum 1998). The species of baobab monitored during this study is found in 32 African countries. There are an abundance of different names for the so-called 'common baobab' (Adansonia digitata). In English it is known as the Monkey Bread Tree, Tree of Life, Upside Down Tree, Sour-Gourd Tree, Lemonade Tree, and Dead Rat Tree. In other languages it is Kremetartboom (Afrikans); Isimuku, UmShimulu, IsiMuhu (Zulu); Ximuwu (Tsonga); Mowana (Tswana); Muvhuyu (Venda),just to name a few, but no matter what it was called, the trees were and are an important source of food, drink, and medicine to indigenous people. The hollow trunks of the trees can store water, the pithy bark can be used to make ropes and baskets, and the vitamin C rich pulp of the fruits can be used to make a lemonade-like drink and numerous traditional medicines. Lastly, the roasted seeds make a coffee-like blend that has been sold and used in trade for thousands of years (Pakenham 2005). Annually the trees produce enormous, carrion-scented flowers that last only a single day and are pollinated by Adansonia digitata (LH) 4 Desert Plants Most of the thomveld woodland in Namibia is dominated by Mopane trees ( Colophospermum mopane), although at least 5 other deciduous tree species were identified in this study area (Table 1). Rat's tail grass (Sporobolus pyramidalis) and lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) were the 2 dominant grasses in the area, which is generally considered to be a sign of overgrazing (Scholes and Archer 1997). There was an obvious presence of both goats and cattle in the vicinity.