Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. in Hook., Niger Fl. 463. 1849; Bignonia africana Lam.

Arboles hasta 15 m de alto. Hojas pinnadas, mayormente 7–9-folioladas; folíolos variables en forma. Inflorescencia una panícula simple con el eje central alargado, colgando bajo las ramas inferiores mediante pedúnculos largos (flagelifloras); cáliz cupular, 5-dentado, 2.5–4.5 cm de largo; corola campanulada en la parte superior y tubular en la base, café obscura, con rayas verdosas por fuera; ovario cilíndrico, 10–11 mm de largo; disco grande, anular-pulviniforme, 3 mm de largo y 12–13 mm de ancho. Fruto cilíndrico, hasta 80 cm de largo y 8 cm de ancho, indehiscente, colgante.

Probablemente cultivada en Nicaragua. Género probablemente monotípico, nativo de las sabanas africanas y cultivado en todas las zonas tropicales.

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Trees up to 10 m tall. Leaves 9-20 cm long, rachis ribbed, tomentose or sparsely so; leaflets 5-9, ovate-oblong to elliptic-ovate, 5-11 x 3-5.5 cm, coriaceous, scabrid, entire, acute or retuse, mucronate, base often oblique, midrib and veins prominent on undersurface, strigose. Panicles lax, pendulous. Flowers 6-7 cm broad. Calyx campanulate, glabrous. Corolla throat wide. Fruit probably not developed in Pakistan.

Source: [
• 13
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This species shows great variability in habit and foliar morphology, and this led Sprague to create 10 species and 4 varieties. Aubreville and Sillans recognised later only one species with 3 varieties: Kigelia africana var. africana, var. aethiopica (Decne.) Aubrev. ex Sillans and var. elliptica (Sprague) Sillans, for W. Africa. Although we recognise that the specimens growing in woodlands and in forests present a tendency to produce large leaflets with acute apices, entire margins, dense indumentum and weak consistence, as opposed to the tendency in specimens from open areas, to produce smaller leaflets, with rounded apices, toothed margins, glabrescent and coriaceous consistence. We noticed all steps of variability to occur, and thus believe that they are mere ecoforms.

Source: [
• 11
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A medium-sized tree 20-50 ft. high

Source: [
• 1
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Fruits like long sausages

Source: [
• 1
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Flowers variable in colour, purplish-red, purple-yellow, orange, greenish-yellow, and sometimes spotted with darker reddish colours

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• 1
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Stamen-filament 3.5–6.5 cm. long, adnate up to 1–2.5 cm. from the base of the corolla tube; anthers 7–13 mm. long; staminode rather large.

Source: [
• 9
]. 

Disk c. 1 cm. in diam. 2–3 mm. high, fleshy, irregularly lobed, sometimes almost truncate.

Source: [
• 9
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Ovary 8–15 mm. long, cylindrical; style 4–7(8) cm. long, filiform.

Source: [
• 9
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Fruit sausage-shaped up to 1 m. long and 18 cm. in diam., pendulous from a long peduncle, greyish-brown, lenticellate in the youth, massive, wood-walled, indehiscent.

Source: [
• 9
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Seeds 10 x 7 mm. numerous, wingless, embedded in a fibrous pulp; testa coriaceous; cotyledons folded.

Source: [
• 9
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Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, imparipinnate, crowded towards the tops of the branches; leaflets (1) 2–5-jugate, sessile or subsessile, except the terminal ones with petiolule (0.7)1–4(6.5) cm., long; leaflet lamina 3.5–17.5 (22.5) x 2.5–11 cm., ovate elliptic, obovate to rounded, apex obtuse, broadly tapering to rounded or retuse ana not so often apiculate, base rounded to cuneate, slightly to profoundly asymmetric except in the terminal leaflet which is asymmetric, glabrous to more or less hairy in both surfaces sometimes more roughly hairy in the superior one, papyraceous to coriaceous, margins entire, serrate or toothed and sometimes conspicously wavy; lateral nerves (4)6–13 pairs impressed above, prominent below, venation laxly reticulate; petiole (2)3.5–14(16) cm. long; rhachis 3–25 (29) cm. long, sulcate above, terete below.

Source: [
• 9
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Medium or large sized tree up to 25 m. tall.

Source: [
• 9
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Calyx shortly tubular to campanulate, (1.7)2–4.3 cm. long, irregularly 4–5 lobed with the lobes up to 1 cm. long, ribbed, glabrous to sparsely puberlous outside, sometimes with irregularly scattered small glands.

Source: [
• 9
]. 

Flowers in pendulous very lax, terminal panicles, 30–100 (150) cm. long, longly pedunculate; pedicels 1–11 (13.5) cm. long, upcurved at the tip; bracts small lanceolate caducous.

Source: [
• 9
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Corolla large, 6–12 cm. long, widely cup-shaped, at first yellowish, later becoming reddish to purplish, streaked darker inside and outside, glabrous except sometimes at the point where the filaments become free; limb bilabiate, the superior lip bilobed, the lower one 3-lobed and recurved, lobes more or less rounded; corolla tube cylindrical at the base and suddenly widening and incurving upwards.

Source: [
• 9
]. 

Medium or large sized tree up to 25 m tall. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, imparipinnate, crowded towards the tops of the branches; leaflets (1)2-5-jugate, sessile or subsessile, except the terminal ones with petiolule (0.7)1-4(6.5) cm, long; leaflet lamina 3.5-17.5(22.5) x 2.5-11 cm, ovate elliptic, obovate to rounded, apex obtuse, broadly tapering to rounded or retuse and not so often apiculate, base rounded to cuneate, slightly to profoundly asymmetric except in the terminal leaflet which is asymmetric, glabrous to more or less hairy in both surfaces sometimes more roughly hairy in the superior one, papyraceous to coriaceous, margins entire, serrate or toothed and sometimes conspicously wavy; lateral nerves (4)6-13 pairs impressed above, prominent below, venation laxly reticulate; petiole (2)3.5-14(16) cm long; rhachis 3-25(29) cm long, sulcate above, terete below. Flowers in pendulous very lax, terminal panicles, 30-100(150) cm long, longly pedunculate; pedicels 1-11(13.5) cm long, upcurved at the tip; bracts small lanceolate caducous. Calyx shortly tubular to campanulate, (1.7)2-4.3 cm long, irregularly 4-5 lobed with the lobes up to 1 cm long, ribbed, glabrous to sparsely puberlous outside, sometimes with irregularly scattered small glands. Corolla large, 6-12 cm long, widely cup-shaped, at first yellowish, later becoming reddish to purplish, streaked darker inside and outside, glabrous except sometimes at the point where the filaments become free; limb bilabiate, the superior lip bilobed, the lower one 3-lobed and recurved, lobes more or less rounded; corolla tube cylindrical at the base and suddenly widening and incurving upwards. Stamen-filament 3.5-6.5 cm long, adnate up to 1-2.5 cm from the base of the corolla tube; anthers 7-13 mm long; staminode rather large. Disk c. 1 cm in diam. 2-3 mm high, fleshy, irregularly lobed, sometimes almost truncate. Ovary 8-15 mm long, cylindrical; style 4-7(8) cm long, filiform. Fruit sausage-shaped up to 1 m long and 18 cm in diam., pendulous from a long peduncle, greyish-brown, lenticellate in the youth, massive, wood-walled, indehiscent. Seeds 10 x 7 mm numerous, wingless, embedded in a fibrous pulp; testa coriaceous; cotyledons folded.

Source: [
• 11
]. 

Tree, up to 25 m high. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, imparipinnate, crowded towards ends of branches. Flowers in pendulous, lax, terminal panicles. Fruit sausage-shaped, indehiscent. Flowers yellowish at first, becoming reddish to purplish, streaked darker inside and outside.

Source: [
• 12
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Arbuste' de 2-3 m à petit arbre ne dépassant pas 15 m de haut et 50 cm de diam., à pubescence très variable.' Feuilles' opposées à ternées, 7-17-foliolées, à pétiole de (5)10(20) cm de long et à rachis de (7)15-20(40) cm de long; folioles subsessiles ou à pétiolule pouvant atteindre 10 mm de long; limbe oblong, elliptique, ovale ou obovale, de (6)10-20(30) cm de long et (4)6-13(16) cm de large, papyracé à coriace, entier à denté ou serreté; base aiguë à cunéée ou obtuse à arrondie et parfois fortement asymétrique; sommet aigu à acuminé ou obtus à arrondi et parfois apiculé; acumen pouvant atteindre 2 cm de long; nervures latérales 6-13 paires; faces supérieure et inférieure pubérulentes à glabres, la supérieure parfois fortement rugueuse. Panicules terminales, pendantes, très lâches et pouvant dépasser 1 m de long, dont 40 cm pour le pédoncule; entre-nœuds de 7-15 cm de long entre les ramifications primaires qui ont 3-5 cm de long; bractées lancéolées, de 1 cm de long.' Fleurs' à pédicelle de 1-3(4) cm de long; calice ± longuement campanulé, de 2,5-5 cm de long, irrégulièrement lobé et à lobes atteignant 1 cm de long, éparsement pubérulent à glabre; corolle d'abord jaune, devenant rouge avec des stries plus foncées, courbée, pouvant atteindre 12-13 cm de longueur totale; tube cylindrique dans sa moitié inférieure, s'évasant vers le sommet, atteignant 8-9 cm de long; lobes atteignant environ 3 cm de diam.; étamines à filet de 4-5 cm de long; disque charnu, atteignant 2-3 mm de haut et 6-7 mm de diam.; ovaire cylindrique, de 10-15 mm de long et 2-3 mm de diam.; style filiforme, de 4-5(8) cm de long; lobes stigmatiques de 4 mm de long.' Fruits' cylindriques, ± atténués aux 2 extrémités, atteignant 40 cm de long et 10 cm de diam., à péricarpe de consistance ligneuse et d'aspect chagriné.'Graines très nombreuses, d'environ 10 mm de long et 7 mm de large.

Source: [
• 14
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Arbol, por lo menos 15 m de altura, 5-7 cm de DAP, copa extendida; ramas jóvenes pubescentes con frecuencia huecas. Hojas imparipinnadamente compuestas, general-mente 7-9-pinnadas; peciolos 3.3-4.0 cm de largo; pinnas 1.9-11.6 x 1.4-6.8 cm, opuestas a subopuestas, elipticas a eliptico-obovadas, superficie conspicua y diminutamente papilosa e irregularmente lepidota, pubescencia de pelos simples sobre los nervios principales y en parte sobre el envés, base y ápice redondeados, pinnas basales más pequefias, las apicales más grandes. Inflorescencia una panicula simple, péndula, el eje central conspicuamente alargado, alcanzando las ramas inferiores. Cáliz 2.5-4.5 x 1.6-2.7 cm, grande, cupular, irregularmente dentado, glabro o subpubérulo, generalmente con zonas glandulares en la parte superior. Corola 7-9 cm de largo, 4-6 cm de diámetro en la parte superior del tubo, campanulada por encima de una base tubular, superficie interna marrón-rojiza oscura, superficie externa marrón-rojiza con lineas verdes en el exterior, glabra con epidermis glandular, pubescente al nivel de la inserción de los estambres. Estambres subexertos; filamentos basalmente pubescentes, el par más largo 4.9-5.1 cm de largo, insertos 1.2-1.3 cm por encima de la base del tubo; tecas 7-9 x 1.5 mm, ligeramente divergentes. Disco nectarífero 3 mm de largo, 12-13 mm de diámetro, grande, anular-pulviniforme. Pistilo 6-6.5 cm de largo; ovario 10-11 mm de largo, 3 mm de diámetro, cilíndrico, más o menos glandular-lepidoto, unilocular con placentas 2 parietales bifidas en el ápice, bilocular con placentas axilares en cada lóculo en la mayoria de su longitud; óvulos ca. 10-seriados en cada lóculo. Fruto hasta 80 x 8 cm, cilindrico, extremos redondeados, grande, colgante, indehiscente.

In rain forests, open woodlands, fringing woodlands, xerophitic forests, or savanas; usually on sandy argillaceous soils.

Source: [
• 11
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Forests, open woodlands, savanna.

Source: [
• 12
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Savanes et forêts de tous types, jusqu'à 2 000 m d'altitude environ. Fréquemment cultivé dans toutes les régions tropicales.

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• 14
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Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique. Widespread in tropical Africa.

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• 11
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Afrique tropicale.

Source: [
• 14
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The Sausage Tree

Source: [
• 1
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