About

Kigelia is a genus of flowering plants in the trumpet vine family Bignoniaceae. The genus consists of only one species, Kigelia africana, syn. Kigelia pinnata, which occurs throughout tropical Africa and is cultivated elsewhere in the tropics.

Often called sausage tree, it grows a fruit that is up to 60 centimetres (24 in) long, weighs about 5–10 kilograms (11–22 lb), and resembles a sausage in a casing. The fruit and bark of the plant are used by African tribes as traditional medicine. The fruit is poisonous for humans when raw, but is also made into an alcoholic drink by tribes in Kenya. It is eaten by elephants, baboons, and other wild animals, which may disperse the seeds, but their importance for seed dispersal remains unverified. Bats pollinate the flowers by drinking their nectar. They can also be pollinated via airstreams, insects, and birds.

Where it grows

Although native to Africa, Kigelia has been transplanted worldwide for its ornamental value. In Townsville, Queensland, Australia, it exists on the James Cook University campus. It is also cultivated in the Andean region of Colombia.

Uses

Traditionally, the tree has been used by local African tribes in the belief that the plant is useful as a therapy for various disorders. Extract from the peel of the fruit has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties while the fruit itself, when crushed, can be used to treat constipation. The tree components contain diverse phytochemicals, including phenols, coumarins, sterols, triterpenes, diterpenes, unsaturated fatty acids, quinones, iridoids, alkanes, and esters.