The Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana)

The Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana) family Bignoniaceae

The trees are over 30 foot in height.
The fruits and bark, ground in water, are either taken orally or used as an enema in treating children’s stomach ailments.

Fruit can be up to 3 foot in length, weighing 20 lbs. In time of food shortages, the seeds are roasted and eaten.

The wood which is whitish yellow and rather soft, is used for planking, boxes and dugout canoes.

The ripe fruits, which are edible, are baked and added to beer to aid fermentation.

The unripe fruits are said to be poisonous but are taken as a remedy for syphilis and rheumatism.

The flowers are pollinated by bats and when they fall to the ground, are eaten by game.