Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family
Malvaceae, native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern
South America, and to tropical west Africa. Kapok is the most used common
name for the tree and may also refer to the cotton-like fluff obtained from its
seed pods. The tree is cultivated for the seed fibre, particularly in
south-east Asia, and is also known as the Java cotton, Java kapok,
silk-cotton, Samauma, or ceiba. Common Names
English - Kapok, Ceiba, White Silk-Cotton Tree
Hindi - Safed semal सफ़ेद सेमल Manipuri - মোৰেহ তেৰা Moreh Tera
Malayalam - Pannimaram Tamil - Ilavam
Telugu - Tellaburaga Marathi - Samali
Kannada - Dudi Sanskrit - Kutashalmali
Bengali - শ্ৱেত সিমল Shwet Simul Sinhala - Kotta
Characteristics The tree grows to 70 m with a trunk up
to 3 m in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches
are often crowded with large simple thorns. The palmate leaves are composed
of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm long. The trees produce several hundred
15 cm pods containing seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fibre that is a
mix of lignin and cellulose. One of the oldest known trees, at 200 years, lives
in Miami, Florida. Uses
Kapok fibre is light, very buoyant, resilient, resistant to water, but it is
very flammable. The process of harvesting and separating the fibre is
labour-intensive and manual. It is difficult to spin, but is used as an
alternative to down as filling in mattresses, pillows, upholstery, zafus,
and stuffed toys such as teddy bears, and for insulation. It was previously
much used in life jackets and similar devices until synthetic materials
largely replaced the fibre. The seeds produce an oil, used locally in soap and
that can be used as fertilizer. Native tribes along the Amazon River
harvest kapok fibre to wrap around their blowgun darts. The fibres create a seal
that allows the pressure to force the dart through the tube.
The commercial tree is most heavily cultivated in the rainforests of Asia,
notably in Java, Philippines, Malaysia, Hainan Island in China as well as in
South America. The flowers are an important source of nectar and pollen
for honey bees. = Ethnomedical uses=
Ceiba pentandra bark decoction has been used as a diuretic, aphrodisiac, and to
treat headache, as well as type II diabetes. It is used as an additive in
some versions of the hallucinogenic drink Ayahuasca.
= Kapok seed oil= A vegetable oil can be pressed from
kapok seeds. The oil has a yellow colour and a pleasant, mild odour and taste,
resembling cottonseed oil. It becomes rancid quickly when exposed to air.
Kapok oil is produced in India, Indonesia and Malaysia. It has an iodine
value of 85-100; this makes it a nondrying oil, which means that it does
not dry out significantly when exposed to air. Kapok oil has some potential as
a biofuel and in paint preparation. Religion and folklore
The kapok is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology.
According to the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago, the Castle of the Devil is a
huge kapok growing deep in the forest in which Bazil the demon of death was
imprisoned by a carpenter. The carpenter tricked the devil into entering the tree
in which he carved seven rooms, one above the other, into the trunk.
Folklore claims that Bazil still resides in that tree.
Most masks coming from Bourkina Fasso, especially those of Bobo and Mossi
people, are carved from the kapok timber.
Symbolism C. pentandra is the national emblem of
Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Equatorial Guinea. It appears on the coat of arms
and flag of Equatorial Guinea. Gallery
See also Fiber crop
Parque de la Ceiba References
External links Kapok Fibers
Seed Fibers Germplasm Resources Information Network:
Ceiba pentandra Ceiba pentandra in Brunken, U., Schmidt,
M., Dressler, S., Janssen, T., Thombiano, A. & Zizka, G. 2008. West
African plants - A Photo Guide. Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg,
Frankfurt/Main.