Bloomin’ Beautiful
THOSE in the know say the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica) is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. But since it was taken by humans to many parts of Asia about 2000 0BC no one really seems to know where it really originated.
It has now spread itself around the world and grows well in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
This is a small tree with attractive fern-like evergreen foliage that is hardy to drought and salt-laden winds. It belongs in the wider Fabaceae family, which includes peas and beans. The fruit pulp is used in the cuisines of India, South-East Asia and the Americas. It is also an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce.
One of the “friends” of the tree is the Komodo dragon, found only on five Indonesian islands, including Komodo.
The female makes her nest under the shade of the tamarind tree. She lays about 20 eggs, which she buries in a mound similar to that of a brush turkey. When the babies hatch they quickly run up the tree trunk to escape being eaten by other adults.
The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world and is a member of the monitor lizard family, of which we have several representatives in Australia. This creature has a forked tongue, a bit like that of a snake, and is listed as vulnerable on the Internatio1nal Union for Conservation of Nature’s “red list”. Only about 3000 survive in the world.
It was previously thought bacteria that accumulated in the dragons’ mouths was responsible for the death of their victims. But in 2009, Melbourne researchers found the creatures possess a venomous bite.
They bite their prey and then wait for it to die before eating it. Their victims consist largely of water buffalo or deer but they have also been known to attack humans.
Recent fossil evidence from Queensland suggests the Komodo dragon may have evolved in Australia and made its way to Indonesia when sea levels were lower in a previous ice age.
The tree benefits because the dragons bury their dead babies and seeds in the mound (fertiliser). In turn, the dragon gains by giving safety and shade to the babies.
A great symbiotic relationship.
