A team of researchers from the Missouri Botanical Garden and the University of Wisconsin–Madison described an additional species of baobab (bau·bab) in Madagascar, the iconic trees also known as the “Tree of Life” or the “upside down tree.” Scientists preliminarily classified the species, Adansonia bozy, as critically endangered.
“Globally, there is still much biodiversity yet to be discovered. Sadly, much of it will be extinct before scientists even have the opportunity to study them. This is why taxonomic studies such as this one are so important,” said Nisa Karimi, lead author and Research Associate at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Native to Africa, Australia, and Madagascar, baobabs are one of oldest living plants, sometimes living millennia. With this new discovery, there are now nine known baobab species, most of which are only found in Madagascar.
Scientists have studied baobabs in Madagascar for more than a century and have long been puzzled by morphological, ecological, and genetic variation observed among the baobab trees of this large African island. Genetic research revealed a distinct species of baobab, which the authors named Adansonia bozy. This species’ name was first used in 1910, but it eventually become synonymous with another species, Adansonia za.
Adansonia bozy is preliminarily classified as Critically Endangered due to its population size and threats like deforestation.
“Hopefully this work will catalyze the much-needed conservation and restoration efforts for this taxon, and many others, in Madagascar,” Karimi said.
Read more on the Missouri Botanical Garden’s blog. >
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About the Study
“Phylogenomic analysis of Madagascar’s baobabs reveals admixed populations and supports resurrection of a previously described species” was published in Taxon in 2026 and is open access: doi.org/10.1002/tax.70176
The authors are Nisa Karimi (Missouri Botanical Garden and University of Wisconsin, Madison), Corrinne E. Grover and Jonathan F. Wendel (Iowa State University), David A. Baum (University of Wisconsin, Madison).
About the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a global leader in science, conservation, conservation, horticulture, and education, whose mission is to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life. The Garden’s programs operate locally and throughout the world — including in Madagascar —” to address key challenges facing humanity by empowering stakeholders to manage, protect, and restore biodiversity sustainably.
Founded in 1859 and located in St. Louis, Missouri, the Garden is one of the nation’s oldest botanical institutions and a National Historic Landmark. The beautifully landscaped gardens, along with the satellite sites Shaw Nature Reserve and the Butterfly House, attract over 1 million visitors a year.
