Adansonia is a genus made up of eight species of medium to large deciduous trees known as baobabs. Previously classified within the family Bombacaceae, they are now placed in the Malvaceae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa and Australia. The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described Adansonia digitata.
The baobab is also known as the “upside down tree”, a name that originates from several myths. They are among the most long-lived of vascular plants and have large flowers that are reproductive for a maximum of 15 hours. The flowers open around dusk; opening so quickly that movement can be detected by the naked eye and are faded by the next morning. The fruits are large, oval to round and berry-like and hold kidney-shaped seeds in a dry, pulpy matrix.
Details
- Designer: Gabriel Ellison
- Printer: Harrison & Sons Ltd.
- Process: Photogravure
- Paper:
- Watermark: None
- Perf: 14.5 x 13.5
- Gum:
- Gum Arabic (original printing)
- Polyvinyl Alcohol (reprint)
- Cylinders: 1A (Copper), 1A (Red-Brown), 1A (Dark Blue), 1A (Blue)
- Sheet: 10 x 10
- Quantity:
- Reprint:
- 22 April 1969
- 27 October 1970
Control Numbers
Sheet Numbers
References
- Wikipedia: Adansonia
- Zambia’s Postage Stamps: The Post-Federation Stamp Issues of Northern Rhodesia (1963-1971 – A. R. Drysdall, J. Case
