Safed Semul (Hindi: सफेद सेमुल)

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

 

 

While still on the tree, the fruits burst open exposing the cotton like substance, which is the kapok of commerce. The small, brown seed, inbetted within the fluffy kapok, is blown away in the wind for many miles.

 

Oil from the seeds is used in edible products and the ground seeds in animal feed.

 

 

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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