Ombu tree Facts
Ombu tree Facts
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| Interesting Ombu tree Facts: |
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| Ombu tree is actually arborescent (tree-like) weed with umbrella-shaped canopy. It can reach 40 to 60 feet in height and 40 to 50 feet in width. |
| Ombu tree is covered with light brown or grey bark and it produces several trunks which create impression of large shrub. |
| Ancestor of ombu tree is herbaceous plant. It does not have woody tissue or growth rings that can be seen on the cross section of typical woody plants. Instead, ombu tree has soft, spongy tissue that can be cut with knife. |
| Base of ombu tree is enlarged and made of tissue designed for storing of water (trunks and branches contain 80% of water). This feature makes ombu tree resistant to the fire. |
| Ombu tree produces dark green, glossy, oval leaves with red midrib. Leaves have long, pinkish petioles and they are alternately arranged on the branches. |
| Ombu tree is dioecious plant which means that it produces male and female flowers on the separate trees. Flowers are greenish-white colored and arranged in long, drooping catkins at the end of the branches. |
| Fruit of ombu tree is yellow, red or black berry filled with gray-black, shiny miniature seed. Berries are arranged in dense clusters. |
| Ombu tree propagates via seed and softwood cuttings. |
| Berries of ombu tree contain substances that can induce intoxication of humans and animals. |
| Ombu tree contains poisonous sap which repels herbivores (such as deer and rabbits). That's why ombu tree cannot be used as a source of food for the cattle. |
| Ombu tree is locally known as "lighthouse" because it represents one of the rare plants that can provide shade and protection from the merciless sun in the wide areas covered with grass in the South America. |
| Juice extracted from the berries of ombu tree can be used as a source of dyes. |
| Tea made of leaves of ombu tree can be used for the purification of the body (it can be used as laxative). |
| Ombu tree is classified as one of the toughest trees in the world. It can survive insect attacks, storms, hurricanes and wildfires. When this plant is cut to the ground, it starts to grow even faster and stronger than before. Its strong root system easily lifts concrete. |
| Ombu tree is perennial plant, which means that it can survive more than 2 years in the wild. |
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