KIGELIA

Kigelia DC., Bibl. Univ. Geneve. 17: 135. 1838; DC., Prodr. 247. 1845; Bailey, Stand. Cyclop. Hort.3: 1737. 1915; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 10.

Medium to large-sized evergreen tree. Leaves subopposite to opposite, imparipinnate. Flowers on long peduncled pendulous panicle. Calyx campanulate, 2-5-lobed. Corolla large, dark purple or blood-red, 2-lipped. Stamens 4. Disc present. Fruit indehiscent, cylindrical, very large and gourd-like. Seeds wingless, embedded in pulp.

One species

Kigelia africana

Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. in W. J. Hooker, Niger. Fl. 463. 1849; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 10; Bignonia Africana Lam. Encycl. 1: 424. 1785; Crescentia pinnata Jacq., Collectanea 3: 203. 1789; Kigelia pinnata (Jacq.) D.C., Prodr. 9: 247. 1845; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1000 (703). 1924. Parker, Fl. Punj. ed. 1. 381. 1918 (Reprint 1973).

A medium sized evergreen tree, up to 20 m tall, crown large. Leaves opposite, occasionally 3 per node, imparipinnate, exstipulate, 15-30(-50) cm long, rachis 14-30 cm long, stout, ribbed, tomentose or sparsely so; petiole up to 8.5 cm long, pulvinate at the base; leaflets (5-)7-9, opposite or subopposite, 5-20 cm x 2.5-7 cm, obovate, obovate-oblong, oblong, ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, coriaceous, margin entire or serrulate, apex obtuse, mucronate or abruptly shortly acuminate, base unequal-sided, midrib and veins prominent on lower surface, strigose; lateral nerves 7-11 pairs; lower leaflets shortly petiolulate, petiolules 1-2 mm, upper ones sessile; petiolules of terminal leaflet 1-1.5 cm, stout, glabrous. Flowers large, 10-15 cm across, blood-red or dark purple, bisexual, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, in very long lax pendulous axillary racemes, 20-60(-150 +) cm long; pedicels ca. 6 cm long, clustered, horizontal and nearly at right angle to inflorescence axis. Calyx ca. 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm, campanulate, coriaceous, glabrous, closed in bud; limb in flower oblique, 2-5-fid, lobes unequal. Corolla dark purple or blood-red, with yellow colour on abaxial side; tube short, ca. 3 cm long; throat broadly campanulate; limb 2-lipped, lobes spreading; upper lip ca. 5 cm x 8 cm, erect, 2-lobed, lobes ca. 2 cm x 3 cm, nearly fused excepting apex; lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe (the lowermost) largest, 4.5 cm x 7 cm, the lateral lobes ca. 4 cm x 6 cm, lobes broadly triangular ovate; surfaces of lobes uneven because of prominent thick veins abaxially. Stamens 4, didynamous, slightly unequal; filaments of larger stamens ca. 5 cm long and shorter stamens ca. 4 cm long; white glandular hairy at base; anthers bithecous, thecae parallel or nearly so, 1-1.2 cm long; staminode antherless, small, hooked, ca. 5 mm long. Disc thick, annular. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ca. 1 cm long, 1-locular, placentas 2, parietal, deeply intruded and meeting in the centre of the loculus; style ca. 10 cm long; stigma bifid, lobes flattened, broadly ovate. Fruit pendulous on large rope-like inflorescence axis, very large, elongate, 30-52 cm x 8-18 cm, woody, muddy brown, with scurfy scales, indehiscent. Seeds not winged, embedded in pulp, pulp fibrous.

Flowering and Fruiting: May to August
Common Names: Sausage Tree, Cucumber Tree, Common Sausage Tree; Balam Khira, Jhar Phanoos (Hindi)