A tree that smells like a mouse...(Mother Nature is a scamp)

[SoCalDem]

A tree with a mousy smell

Africa's sausage tree smells like a mouse; this compels bats to pollinate it.


The blood-red flowers of the South African sausage tree (Kigelia pinnata) 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 (0.6 m) long and weigh up to 15 pounds (6.8 kg).