Baobab

© Peter Delaney

Amagama

Baobab [Adansonia digitata]
Amanye amagama aquka umthi webhotile, umthi ojonge phantsi okanye umthi wesonka semfene.

Igama lesi-Latin

Adansonia digitata

Inkcazelo

Yonke imithi ye-bhaubhab inamagqabi avuthulukayo anobude obungange mitha eziyi 5-20. Lomthi awuqhelekanga kwaye ukhula kwindawo eziphantsi e-Afrika nase Australia. Ukhula abemkhulu ngesiqu kwaye angaphila kangange xesha leminyaka engamawaka ayi- 3000. Kukhona umthi we-bhaubhab pha eZimbabwe, omkhulu kakhulu angade afihle abantu abayi-40 pha kumboko wayo. Imithi emininzi isetyenziswa ukwenza ivenkile, intilongo, indlu, indawo yokugcina izinto okanye indawo yokulindela ibhasi.
Lomthi wohlukile kweminye imithi. Umboko wayo ugudile kwaye uyamenzela, akafani neminye imithi, evamise ukuba pinki-bungwevu okanye umbala omdaka. Xa amagqabi okanye amahlahla alomthi ane nengcambu ezivelayo, kuchaza ukuba umthi utyalwe ujonge phantsi. Kunzima ukubulala lomthi, ungawutshisa, uwususe amagqabi, kodwa amagqabi azomane ezikhulela nje wodwa. Xa usifa, uyabola nje ngaphakathi, lonto yenza abantu abaninzi bacinge fana ukuba lomthi awufi, ntonje uvele anyamalale.
Umthi omdala uyakwazi ukuziphilela, ngokumana ixhasa ubomi bezidalwa, ukusuka kwizilwanyana ezinkulu ukuya kwizilwanyana ezincinci ezizihambelayo nje. Iintaka zakha izandlwane zazo esihlahleni salomthi, iimfene zitya iziqhamo; abantwana basendle kwaye nentyatyambo, iindlovu zona zaziwa ngokutya umthi wonke. Umthi omncinci we-bhaobhab wahlukile kumthi omdala, kungoko abathwa bekholelwa ukuba awukhuli njenge minye imithi, kodwa uvele awele phantsi, ukhule unjalo, futhi ngenye imini uvele anyamalale. Yiyo lonto ubizwa umthi wemilingo.

Iityatyambo neziqhamo

Lomthi unetyatyambo ezinkulu ezimhlophe ezivulekayo ebusuku. Isiqhamo sikhula sibe nobude obungange nyawo, kwaye sine aside kunye nesakhi mzimba u-C, ungasi funxa okanye usifake emanzini ukwenza isiselo esiphuzwayo. Ngamanye amaxesha isiqhamo siyosiwa ukwenza ikofu. Isiqhamo salomthi ayonto kuphela esetyenziswayo. Umphandle walomthi kwenziwa ngawo intambo, imethi, ibhaskithi, iphepha kunye ne-laphu; amagqabi ayabiliswa atyiwe okanye kwenziwe into yokuncamathisela.

Intsebenziso

IFayibha yalomthi kwenziwa ngayo intambo, ibhaskithi, ilaphu, izixhobo zokudlala umculo futhi neminqwazi engangenwa ngamanzi. Xa ususa umqhele kumboko wayo, imithi emininzi iyafa, i-bhaobhab yona iyaphila kwezimeko futhi iphinde izenzele umqhele wayo omtsha. Amagqabi alomthi asetyenziswa njengeyeza lokunyanga izifo zezintso, isifuba naxa umntu elunywe sisinambuzane. Isiqhamo sayo sinencasa, sinomsondlo futhi sifunwa kakhulu kwezinye iindawo, ipholen esuka e-Afrika nase Australia ixutywa namanzi ukwenza into yokuncamathisela.

Amaqhaewe engingqi

Ukusuka pha kwi Zambezi, izizwe zikholelwa ukuba ngoku ilizwe lalincinci, imithi ye Bhaobhab ibisima tye/ nqo kwaye izingce. Kodwa ngenxa yesizathu esingaziwayo, uye wanqaba lomthi. Abaphantsi baye baqumba bayisusa imithi ye-Bhaobhab, bayityala futhi emhlabeni ingcambu zikhombe phezulu. Imimoya emdaka ithanda ukufikela iintyatyambo ezimhlophe okanye naphina umntu okhe wathatha igqabi layo ubulalwa yingonyama. Omnye umthi omkhulu we-Bhaobhab wase Zambia kuthiwa umane ufikelwa sisiporho serhamba.
Phambi kokuba umlungu afike, irhamaba elikhulu layihlala phakathi kwalomthi kwaye abantu bendawo bebeyinqulile. Xa bethandazela imvula, izilimo ezilungileyo kunye nozingelo olutyebileyo, elirhamba beliphendula imithandazo yabo. Umlungu wokuqala ukuzingela wadubula elirhamba engalazi, yonke lontoke yabangela lengqumbo. Ngamanye amaxesha ebusuku xa kuthulile abahlali bakhe bave isandi selirhamba pha emthini. I-Kafue National Park e-Zambia, inomthi omkhulu we-Baobab kwaye waziwa njenge 'Kondanamwali' – umthi otya amantombazane.
Lomthi wakhe wathandana namantombazane amane ayehlala kumthunzi wayo. Xa sele emadala la ntombazana, ahamba ayofuna abayeni, lonto yenza umthi ukuba abenomona. Ngobunye ubusuku, linetha kakhulu kwaye liduduma, lomthi wavulela lamantombazana ngaphakathi kwayo. Indlwane yokuphumla yakhiwe ngasemasebeni omthi. Kalinetha, sisikhalo salamantombazana avalelweyo enza abantu ukuba boyike, hayi isandi sezilwanyana zangaphandle pha e-Limpopo, kukholelwa ukuba xa umfana omncinci ehlanjwe ngamanzi walomthi, ukhula abe yindoda endala.
Ezinye inkolelo zabahlali zinobungqina besayensi. Abahlali bakholelwa ukuba abafazi abahlala ebuhlanti apho kukhona lomthi, bazala abantwana abaninzi, nakubafazi abahlala kwindawo engena Baobab. Batya isuphu yalomthi eyenziwe ngamagqabi wayo. Iyanceda lonto kakhulu kukutya kwabo. Oogqirha bayavuma nabo ukuba lomthi uyanceda kwizinga lokuzala. Umthwa uliqhawe elibalisa ibali lesinyanya u-Thora. Kuthiwa u-Thora zange wawuthanda lomthi ukhula egadini yakhe, ngoko wawulahlela eParadesi phantsi eMhlabeni.
Nangona lomthi wawa wajonga phezulu , uye waqhubeleka ukukhula. Akumangalisi ukuba lomthi ongaqhelekanga uze neenkolelo ezininzi. Abantu abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba xa usikha intyatyambo yalomthi, uzotyiwa yingonyama kodwa xa usela amanzi wayo uyazikhusela ekulunyweni nguxam. Iintlanga ezininzi zase Transvaal zihlamba amakhwenkwe ngamanzi afakwe i-Baobab kwenzel’ ukuba xa ekhula abemkhulu kwaye abe ngamadoda aqinileyo.

Ifumaneka phi

Lomthi ugcwele kwingingqi zase Afrika. Ukhula futhi kwindawo ezifana ne- Madagascar, e-India, e-Ceylon kunye ne-Australia. Zikhula kwindawo ezininzi e-Zimbawe. KwiPhondo laseMntla, ziyafunyanwa phakathi kwe-Limpopo nase Zoutpansberg. I-Messina kuthiwa yidolophu ye-Bhaobhab. Kukhona indawo edumileyo ephakathi kwe Louis Trichardt ne Messina abayibiza i ‘halfway baobab’. Lomthi uthanda indawo etshisayo enesanti nezandyondyo.