African Wildlife andEnvironment Issue 71

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

Kigelia africana at the Tshokwane picnic site, Kruger National Park (2009)

Kigelia africana apical leaflets showing spikey margins

it would mean that there must be a continuous exchange of genetic material over evolutionary time. Thus, for plants this would mean that their fruits must be suitable for long-distance dispersal. Since the fruits of the three trees in question here are sought after by elephants and people, that gives them the opportunity to be widely dispersed. Mike made the further observation that genera with short distance modes of seed dispersal, such as Brachystegia (the common and widespread miombo species of Central Africa) with their explosive pods, would likely have many species per genus (and in Brachystegia this is the case, and why this is so is maybe for another day). What uses does the tree have? Some birds are attracted to the flowers; such as sunbirds, orioles, bulbuls, weavers, brown-headed parrots and go-way birds (that eat the flower buds) Their scent is strongest at night indicating that

they are adapted to pollination by bats that visit them for pollen and nectar. The flowers are also visited by many insects, and baboons and vervet monkeys relish eating them, while the fallen flowers are much sought after by antelope like impala and kudu as well as porcupine. The fruit is extremely hard and dense and the pulp is fibrous and contains numerous seeds. It is eaten by several mammals particularly elephant, bush pigs, baboons and even giraffe. The fresh fruit is poisonous and said to be strongly purgative; some locals do eat the fruit but it must first be dried, roasted and/or fermented. In Botswana the trunks have been used to make mokoros. In some regions the wood is also used to carve utensils. The tree is widely grown as an ornamental for its decorative flowers and unusual fruit. Planting sites must be carefully selected as the falling fruit can cause serious injury to people and damage vehicles parked

under the trees. The roots can be quite invasive and damage walls and building as the trees mature. When I was at San Diego State University there were a couple of big trees that flowered and fruited, which meant that the local bats must also have been able to pollinate the flowers.

Prof Eugene Moll Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape emoll@telkomsa.net

The sausage like fruits of the Kigelia africana

20 |

21 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 71