African feathery kigelia (lat. Kigelia pinnata) - a plant of the Bignoniaceae family, distributed in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the African continent, on the island of Madagascar. Its official name is little known. More popular is another, everyday - sausage tree.
Botanical Description
Kigelia is a broad-leaved tree about 10–15 m high with a branched trunk of medium width, covered with gray-brown thick bark. Numerous long shoots form a sprawling irregularly shaped ragged crown. The leaves are simple, leathery, elliptical, about 15 cm long, bright green, with serrated edges.The surface is smooth, with clearly visible feathery veins. The leaves of ordinary ash are reminiscent, but in a sausage tree they are somewhat larger. During a drought, greens fall off to save moisture. When the rainy season begins, new leaves grow on the branches.
Kigelia flowers bisexual, decorative. Appear on a tree in the dry season. The buds are crimson-red, about 15 cm in size, with large silky, slightly bent petals, bright yellow long stamens. Cup-shaped corollas are singly located on thick pedicels or collected in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces. Flowers bloom in the evening, with the onset of twilight, begin to emit a rather sharp putrefactive odor. This aroma attracts birds and bats - the main pollinators of Kigelia. The buds that remain unfertilized close, wither and fall over the course of several days. In place of pollinated flowers, the fruit ovary remains, pedicels gradually stretch, turning into strong bundles.
Fruit
The fruits of the tree are thick sausages of pink or light brown color, elongated up to 40-60 cm. They hang on sturdy stalks that can support the weight of an adult. Bear kigelia 1-2 times a year, depending on weather conditions. One plant during the harvest period forms about 150 fruits.
Europeans named sausage tree Kigelia. They first discovered this plant in the 19th century. Hanging one by one, sometimes in bundles of several pieces, the fruits in shape and size were like sausages. From the side it seemed that real sausages were hung on the branches. Aborigines prefer to call the plant Moporoto, which means "sheep’s tail."
Despite the appetizing appearance, the fruits are inedible. They are tough and heavy. Weight reaches 3 kg or more. The pulp located under the rough skin is bitter and poisonous to humans. However, wild animals and birds willingly eat it. Large, dark seeds are so hard that they are hard to crack with an ax.
Useful properties of the plant
A large number of biologically active substances were found in the composition of the pulp and seeds of the fruit:
- vitamin PP, ascorbic acid, riboflavin;
- steroids, saponins;
- hormone-like compounds;
- coumarins;
- glycosides;
- tannins;
- organic acids;
- antioxidants;
- phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc.
In lower concentrations, these compounds are found in flowers, leaves, young shoots. The plant is of pharmacological value. The extract of fruits and leaves has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antifungal, vasodilator, anti-cancer, regenerative effects.
Application
Locals believe that sausages are sacred, protect from evil spirits, the evil eye. To attract happiness, they are often hung near the entrance to the house, rolled over the body of newborn children to ensure their health and longevity.
Strong, crack-resistant wood from large trees used to be used for canoeing. Now dishes, small kitchen utensils are being cut out of it, home furniture, drawers, barrels are made. Waste is used as fuel. From the forehead weave baskets.
Unappealing at first glance, the sausage tree fruits have been widely used due to the healing properties. Pulp and seed tincture is used for:
- ulcer healing;
- anesthesia and disinfection of insect bites, snakes;
- treatment of epileptic seizures, fever;
- improve digestion, eliminate constipation;
- getting rid of sexually transmitted and fungal infections;
- treatment of inflammatory diseases of the liver and kidneys;
- maintaining joint mobility;
- blood circulation stimulation, improvement of blood composition;
- detoxification in case of poisoning.
Fruit extract is used in cosmetology, because it is able to cleanse, smooth, rejuvenate the skin, stimulate the processes of renewal. Hood is an ingredient in many skin care products: anti-cellulite, fat-burning creams, lotions for the destruction of acne, ointments from psoriasis, scars, burns, shampoos, conditioners for strengthening hair.
African girls and women have long rubbed the body with the juice of raw fruits to make it strong and attractive, increase the size or correct the shape of the chest, and give the skin smoothness.
Dried seeds are cracked, crushed, and used for the preparation of national alcoholic beverages.
Features of growing at home
An exotic tree can be planted at home, kept in a room, on a heated loggia or in a winter garden. African kigelia has low frost resistance; it does not survive in open ground.
To grow a crop you will need a capacious container. Trees develop rather quickly, at home they can stretch up to 1.5–2 m. By pinching off skeletal branches, dwarf sizes can be achieved.
Mature seeds are scarified before planting, i.e. they cut a shell with a file or a blade. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 12 hours in hot water. A drainage layer, about 4 cm, of sand is poured into the container. Then put the soil mixture. Suitable garden soil, loam with the addition of leaf humus, peat and sand. You can immediately apply complex mineral fertilizers to the soil. Before planting, it is recommended to moisten the soil abundantly.
The seed is deepened into the substrate by 2 cm, cover the surface of the pot with a film. They contain seedlings at a temperature of 20–25 ° С, round-the-clock lighting. Water the soil every 2 days. Sprouts usually appear after 10-15 days.
Care
Kigel containers are placed on the south or southwest side. This plant needs a lot of sunlight and heat. Young shoots cannot be placed under direct rays; windows should be darkened with tulle. Mature trees are not afraid of the sun.
Ambient temperature in spring and summer should not be lower than 20 ° С. The sausage tree tolerates heat well, but it can wither away from a lack of moisture. To avoid dropping leaves, you need to water the bush at least 2 times a week. The soil in the pot should be completely wet. Regularly need to loosen the topsoil, weed weed.
In winter, you can arrange a tree dormant period, gradually lowering the temperature to 12-15 ° C, reducing the frequency of watering up to 2 times a month. This will slow the growth of kigelia.
In summer, you can take a pot of wood to fresh air. Sudden changes in temperature must be avoided.
Kigel is fed with superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, other mineral fertilizers, and mixtures. Before making top dressing is dissolved in water. With slow growth or weak leaves, you can water the tree every 2 weeks with a 10% solution of rotted mullein, bird droppings, add leafy humus.
If the kigelia takes root, then after 7-9 years it will be possible to admire the first flowers.