The blood-red flowers of the sausage tree
bloom at night on long, ropelike stalks that hang down from the limbs of this
tropical tree. The fragrant, nectar-rich blossoms are pollinated by bats,
insects and sunbirds in their native habitat. The mature fruits dangle from
the long stalks like giant sausages. They may be up to two feet long
and weigh up to 6.8 kg.
The flowers are seen hanging from the tree while they haven't opened. After
they open, they fall off quite soon. The fruit, while not
palatable for humans, is popular with hippos, baboons, and giraffes.
Mainly grown as a curiosity and ornamental, both for its beautiful deep red
flowers and its strange fruit.
Medicinal uses: There are also a range of traditional uses for the
fruit, varying from topical treatments for skin afflictions, to treatment for
intestinal worms. There are some steroid chemicals found in the sausage tree
that are currently added to commercially available shampoos and facial creams.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Delhi.
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The flower labeled Sausage Tree is ...