White silk-cotton tree

Common name: White Silk Cotton Tree, True Kapok Tree, {Schwetsimul, Setsimul (Bengali)} {Safed Semul सफेद सेमुल, Safed savara सफेद सावरा (Hindi)}, Safeta savara सफेत सावरा (Marathi), Shweta shalmali श्वेत शालमली (Sanskrit), {Panji tannaku பஞ்சித்தணக்கு, Shalmali ல்மலி (Tamil)}, Tella buruga (Telugu), Sambal (Urdu)

 

Botanical name: Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.

- [ (SAY-buh) latinized form of the South American name for this tree; (pen-TAN-druh) five stamens ]

Synonyms: Bombax guineensis Schum. & Thonn. • Bombax occidentale Spreng. • Bombax orientale Spreng. • Bombax pentandrum L. • Ceiba caribaea (DC.) A. Chev. • Ceiba guineensis (Schum. & Thonn.) A. Chev. • Ceiba occidentalis (Spreng.) Burkill • Ceiba thonningii A. Chev. • Eriodendron anfractuosum DC. • Eriodendron caribaeum G. Don • Eriodendron guineense G. Don & Thonn. • Eriodendron orientale Kostel • Eriodendron pentandrum (L.) Kurz • Xylon pentandrum (L.) Kuntze

Family: Bombacaceae (baobab family)

 

Origin: Tropical America

 

 

This deciduous tree is host to numerous aerial plants, insects, birds, frogs and other animals.

 

The silk cotton tree is deciduous and all the leaves are shed during the dry season. The silk cotton tree is cultivated for kapok. This floss is light and fluffy, resistant to water and decay. It is used as a stuffing in life jackets.

 

 

Ceiba is also the national tree of both Guatemala and Puerto Rico.

 

 

Courtesy:

- Dave's Garden

- Zipcode Zoo

- EcoPort

- Mytho-Fleurs

- Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database

- Tropilab Inc.

 

Note: Identification or description may not be accurate; it is subject to your review.

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