Plants in Israel: Kigelia africana

Kigelia africana, Crescentia pinnata, Kigelia pinnata, Sausage tree,
Hebrew: קיגליה מנוצה, Arabic: كجلة أفريقية

Scientific name:   Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth.
Synonym name:   Crescentia pinnata Jacq., Kigelia pinnata (Jacq.) DC.
Common name:   Sausage tree
Hebrew name:   קיגליה מנוצה
Arabic name:   كجلة أفريقية
Family:   Bignoniaceae, Trumpet-creeper family, ביגנוניים


Life form:   Tree, up to 20m
Stems:   light brown sometimes flaky bark
Leaves:   Odd pinnately, composite opposite leaves, leaflets, ovate to oblong, 4-18 cm long
Inflorescence:   Ancillary panicles up to 2m long
Flowers:   Corolla of fused petals, irregularly bell shaped, 9-13 cm long, yellowish on outside and dark red on inside
Fruits / pods:   Oblong, hard 30-50 cm long
Flowering Period:   July, August
Chorotype:   Africa
Summer shedding:   Perennating


Derivation of the botanical name:

Kigelia, based on an African name.

africana, from Africa.
The Hebrew name: קיגליה, Kigelia , transliteration from the scientific name.

  • The standard author abbreviation Lam. is used to indicate Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744 – 1829), a French naturalist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Benth. is used to indicate George Bentham (1800 – 1884), an English botanist.

The flowers only open at night and are pollinated by bats and hawk-moths.