Why is this tree's belly so round? Uncovering the "water storage legend" of South African plants

Have you heard of the "water storage legend" of South African plants?

Have you ever heard of "plants that drink water"? In tropical rainforests and arid grasslands, some plants have evolved amazing water storage capabilities. In order to survive in extreme environments, their bodies are constructed into natural "reservoirs". Today, we will introduce two plants - Ceiba alba and Traveler's banana. Their respective "water storage legends" are amazing. But are these legends true? Let's find out.

The legendary Maitreya tree

In the tropical regions of South America, there grows a plant with a peculiar appearance - the white-flowered kapok. Its trunk is thick and has a circumference of up to four or five meters, like a round belly, and is 10 to 15 meters high, which makes people think of the pot-bellied Maitreya Buddha. According to legend, the "belly" of the white-flowered kapok contains a lot of water. If the trunk is cut, thirst-quenching liquid will flow out continuously, which is enough to cope with long-term droughts. Is such an exaggerated water storage function true?

This is not the case. The internal structure of the trunk of the Ceiba alba is soft, but it is not filled with liquid like a water bag. Its water storage method is more like a sponge, absorbing a large amount of water in the rainy season through its porous wood structure, and slowly releasing it to survive in the dry season. Although the trunk has a high water content, it is just softer than ordinary trees, and no water will flow out after it is chiseled open. This evolutionary feature helps it survive tenaciously in the alternating dry and wet regions of South America, but the rumor of "chiseling wood to get water" is a pure misunderstanding.

Africa's "traveler savior"

Similar to the white-flowered kapok, the African traveler's banana is also famous for its legendary "water storage" function. This plant native to Madagascar has broad and thick leaves and sturdy petioles, just like a natural rainwater collection system. Rumor has it that if you are thirsty during travel, you can cut its petiole and drink cool water. However, the reality is not so simple.

The "water reservoir" of the traveler's palm is not the water in the trunk or petiole, but the rainwater stored in the small gaps between the leaves and petioles during the rainy season. When heavy rain falls, rainwater slides down from the huge leaves, is stored in the grooves of the petioles, and is protected from evaporation by the wax on the leaf surface. This water can indeed be collected, but it is not as simple as the legend says "cut it open and drink it". You have to find the right place to get the rainwater, and this stored water may contain bacteria. From a health point of view, it is not recommended to drink it directly.

The amazing adaptability displayed by these "water-drinking" plants is actually a microcosm of nature's biodiversity. Faced with alternating dry and wet conditions or extreme climates, they have evolved their own unique water storage abilities, using scientific structural designs to store and preserve water. These mechanisms help them survive and reproduce in harsh natural environments, becoming a unique ecological landscape on Earth.