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Taxonomy See also list of plants in the family Malvaceae. Baobab, (genus Adansonia), genus of nine species of deciduous trees of the mallow family, noted for their unusual barrel-like trunks. Seven species are endemic to Madagascar, one is native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and one is native to northwestern Australia. Baobabs are known for their extraordinary longevity and ethnobotanical importance. Given their peculiar shape, an Arabian legend has it that “the devil...