Hello Again Everyone!
This Little Details post is about something that I had walked past many of times and wondered why is it there? or what is it?
I’m talking about the weird looking tree in Animal Kingdom… and no not the Tree Of Life. I’m talking about a tree in Africa. Specifically the tree at the end of Mombassa Marketplace.
Each time I’ve walked past this tree wondering why there were sausages hanging from it, and maybe you have thought it to. Well I have done research and sadly they are not tasty sausages although the name of the tree is in-fact a sausage tree.
Here are the facts of the real sausage tree’s that come from South Africa.
- The Sausage tree is also known as Kigelia Africana, it is a tropical species which occurs in the eastern part of South Africa, stretching from Natal to the Northern Province, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and further northwards as far as Tanzania.
- The sausage-shaped fruit grows up to 50 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters in diameter. It is grey-green to pale brown in colour, hard and exceptionally heavy. The fruit hangs from a remarkably long stalk. The fruits fall from the trees in March/April of the following year. They lie undamaged on the ground for many months. They are inedible and are reported to be poisonous, especially when still green.
- Some African tribes regard the sausage tree as holy. Important meetings are held under the shade of the Sausage Tree and objects cut from the timber are worshiped.
- Although the fruit is thought to be poisonous, it is still baked and added to beer brews to aid fermentation. In pulverized form, it is used to treat abscesses. A paste is made from the fruit and used to treat venereal diseases and rheumatism.
Well there you have it, the sausage tree does not have tasty sausage goodness hanging from it.
I hope you have enjoyed this Little Detail and impress your friends and family with sausage tree knowledge.
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