The Fruits are capsules, grey, and erect and conspicuous on the top of the tree. They are from 2-2½ inches in diameter and split into 4 sections in each of which the flat, winged, mahogany-brown seeds are tightly packed one above the other. They ripen from March onwards of the next year, the seeds falling from the split capsule on the tree.
Uses.—The wood for furniture, canoes and mortars.
The bark as a bitter tonic after boiling with water, and powdered as a cure of sore backs of horses.
The leaves are gathered for camel and cattle fodder.
The seeds, dried, fried, beaten up and boiled to extract the oil, are used for anointing the body, by pagans.
KIGELIA AETHIOPICA Decne. var. BORNUENSIS Sprague.—Rawuya, Rahaina, Nonon Giwa. “Sausage Tree.” BIGNONIACEAE.
A large tree up to 50 feet in height with a girth of 6-7 feet. It occurs in the north mostly in “kurmis” up to 11° N. or more. It is not a savannah tree but has penetrated a great distance into them by way of the streams. It is low-branching or forking, and has large limbs forming a high or wide crown of great spread and dense foliage. Either in flower or fruit it is unmistakable.
The Bark is grey or light brown with small, soft, corky scales, rather scattered and leaving lighter brown patches.