Kigelia africana is widespread across Africa and found in wet savannah and riverine areas. The tree grows to 20 metres or more and is semi-deciduous with smooth grey-brown bark and velvety maroon flowers. The unusual grey, sausage-shaped fruit that give the tree its common name (the sausage tree) hang from rope-like stalks. They can reach over a metre in length and weigh as much as 10kg. The fruit pulp within the thin skin is firm and fibrous fruit pulp and contains many small seeds. Kigelia belongs to the botanical family Bignoniaceae.