Friday, May 30, 2014

Chinese Parasol and Baobab Trees

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

A Chinese parasol tree against a high rise,
I wouldn't dare compare;
God's creation and that of man has no price,
with nothing common to pair. 

The tree has no stairs or lift to take me up,
yet it arms embrace me high
into the sky beyond my sight and cross the gap
between earth and the blue sky.

The building is but a shell, an empty dead shell, 
transient its inhabitants are;
like hermit crabs on the run and returning, tell
of the weather if bad or fair. 


And the parasol tree stands witness to man's
incessant and endless toil;
telling him of the seasons passing in the sands
of time, sans regret, recoil.    









Chinese parasol Cavanillesia hylogeiton Malvaceae, UST Manila  
Cavanillesia belongs to the same family as the baobab Adansonia. 





Baobab is also called 'boab', 'boaboa', 'bottle tree', 'the tree of life', 'upside-down tree', and 'monkey bread tree'. It grows in Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia. The baobab is the national tree of Madagascar. "The Big Baobab Pub" South Africa is 22 metres (72 ft) high, 47 m (155 ft) in circumference, and is said to have been carbon dated at over 6,000 years old
The baobab tree is known as the tree of life, with good reason. It can provide shelter, clothing, food, and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African savannah regions. The cork-like bark and huge stem are fire resistant and are used for making cloth and rope. The leaves are used as condiments and medicines. The fruit, called "monkey bread", is edible, and full of vitamins.

The fruit has a velvety shell and is about the size of a coconut, weighing about 1.44 kilograms (3.2 lb). It has a somewhat acidic flavor, described as 'somewhere between grapefruit, pear, and vanilla'. The tree can store hundreds of liters of water, which is an adaptation to the harsh drought conditions of its environment. The tree may be tapped in dry periods. Mature trees are usually hollow, providing living space for many animals and humans. Trees are even used as bars, barns, wine and beer shops and more.~

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