Trees:
Umbrella tree (Acacia tortilis) :
- Has come to represent Africa - Seedlings can not survive bush fires - The seeds are a favorite of elephants - Only twice in the past one hundred years the trees have been able to grow due to fires Strangle Fig (Ficus thonningii) :
- Begin life as small vine-like plants that climbs to the nearest large tree, and thickens - Once the Strangle Fig produces enough thick branchs it strangles the host tree - Two massive trees near Serengeti are very significant to the local Maasai people. Sausage tree (Kigelia africana) :
- Spread sparsley throughout the Serengeti - Produces long, succulent, poisonous fruits - Elephants enjoy the fruits - Fruit weighs around 5kg |
Yellow Fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea) :
- Common site on the Serengeti Plains - Found in wet areas of black-cotton soil, such as along rivers - Early settlers knew malaria was common near standing water, but blamed the trees instead of mosquitos giving them their name Wild Date Palm (Phoenix reclinata) :
- Palms are monocotyledons, the veins in their leaves are parallel and unbranched - Are therefore relatives of grasses, lilies, bananas and orchids - The wild Date Palm is the most common of the native palm trees - Although they taste awful, the fruits are edible - The thick sugary sap is made into Palm wine (Palm wine is diplayed in the photo below.)
|