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The sausage tree boasts long, open sprays of large, wrinkled, maroon or
dark red trumpet-shaped flowers that are velvety on the inside and that
virtually overflow with nectar. The unique fruits look like giant sausages!
Description
The short, squat trunk has light brown, sometimes flaky bark and supports a
dense rounded to spreading crown (18 m high, 20 m wide) of leathery,
slightly glossy foliage (deciduous). The huge, grey-brown fruits, 800 x 120
mm. hang from long stalks, from December (summer) to June (winter) and
weigh anything up to 9 kg!
Natural distribution
The tree is found on riverbanks, where it may reach 20 m, along streams and
on floodplains, also in open woodland, from KwaZulu-Natal to Tanzania.
Name derivation
Kigelia is based on an African name and africana means from
Africa. The genus Kigelia has one species and occurs only in Africa.
Ecology
It is one of the first trees to flower in the Kruger Park in early spring
(August to October) - on a recent visit, after a prolonged, dry winter, the
tree was 'alive' with insects and birds. We saw, in a short space of time,
Black, Scarletchested and Whitebellied Sunbirds, Blackheaded Oriole, Sombre
and Blackeyed Bulbuls, Masked Weaver, Brownheaded Parrot and Grey Lourie
(which eats flowerbuds). Young monkeys sank their small faces deep into the
flowers to get at the nectar, and duiker, kudu and impala were eating the
fallen flowers. Elephant and kudu occasionally browse the leaves, and
baboons, monkeys, bushpigs and porcupines eat the fruit. Epauletted fruit
bats are thought to pollinate the flowers and Charaxes butterflies
also visit the tree.
Uses and cultural aspects
In Malawi, roasted fruits are used to flavour beer and aid fermentation.
The tough wood is used for shelving and fruit boxes, and dugout canoes are
made from the tree in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Roots are said to yield a
bright yellow dye. Traditional remedies prepared from crushed, dried or
fresh fruits are used to deal with ulcers, sores and syphilis - the fruit
has antibacterial activity. Today, beauty products and skin ointments are
prepared from fruit extracts. Fresh fruit cannot be eaten - it is said to
be a strong purgative, and causes blisters in the mouth and on the skin.
Green fruits are said to be poisonous. In time of scarcity, seeds are
roasted and eaten.
- Coates-Palgrave, K.
1988. Trees of southern Africa, edn 2. Struik, Cape Town.
- Joffe, P. 2001. Creative
gardening with indigenous plants - a South African guide. Briza
Publications, Pretoria.
- Palmer, E. &
Pitman, N. 1972. Trees of southern Africa. Balkema, Cape Town.
- Pooley, E. 1993. The
complete guide to trees of Natal, Zululand and Transkei. Natal
Flora Publications Trust.
- Van Wyk, B-E., Van
Oudtshoorn, B. & Gericke, N. 1997. Medicinal plants of South
Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.
- Van Wyk, B. &
Van Wyk, P. 1997. Field guide to the trees of southern Africa.
Struik, Cape Town.
- Van Wyk, B-E. &
Gericke, N. 2000. People's plants - a guide to useful plants of
southern Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.
- Venter, F. &
Venter, J. 1996. Making the most of indigenous trees. Briza
Publications, Pretoria.
- Von Koenen, E. 1996.
Medicinal, poisonous and edible plants in Namibia. Klaus Hess,
Windhoek.
- Watt, J.M. &
Breyer-Brandwijk, M.G. 1962. The medicinal and poisonous plants of
southern and eastern Africa. Livingstone, London.
Pitta Joffe
Pretoria National Botanical Garden
August 2003
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