Discover Nature at JCU Plants Plants on Townsville Campus A-L Kigelia africana

Kigelia africana

Kigelia pinnata

(Sausage tree)

FAMILY

Bignoniaceae

Species

Kigelia africana includes K. pinnata

Common name

Sausage tree

Flower colour; life form

Flowers red; tree

Campus

Townsville

Description

This African, evergreen tree to about 15 m tall, is very tolerant of dry conditions. It has alternate, compound leaves with 7-9 rough leathery leaflets per leaf. The dark, red flowers are born in long pendulous sprays, bat-pollinated. The fleshy, fawn-coloured fruit is sausage-like and up to 50 cm long. Fruit is poisonous. The species previously known as Kigelia pinnata is now included with Kigelia africana, the only species in the genus