Ceiba pentandra

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Ceiba pentandra
Kapok tree Honolulu.jpg
Kapok plantit in Honolulu, Hawai'i
Scientific classification
Kinrick: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Faimily: Malvaceae
Genus: Ceiba
Species: C. pentandra
Binomial name
Ceiba pentandra

Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree o the order Malvales an the faimily Malvaceae (previously separated in the faimily Bombacaceae), native tae Mexico, Central Americae an the Caribbean, northren Sooth Americae, an (as the variety C. pentandra var. guineensis) tae tropical wast Africae. Kapok is the maist uised common name for the tree an mey an aa refer tae the cotton obtained frae its seed pods. The tree is an aa kent as the Java cotton, Java kapok, Silk cotton or ceiba.

Characteristics[eedit | eedit soorce]

The tree grows tae 60–70 m (200–230 ft) taw an haes a very substantial trunk up tae 3 m (10 ft) in diameter wi buttresses. The trunk an mony o the lairger branches are eften (but nae always) crowdit wi very lairge, robust semple thorns. The leaves are compoond o 5 tae 9 leaflets, each up tae 20 cm (8 in) an palm lik. Adult trees produce several hunder 15 cm (6 in) seed pods. The pods contain seeds surroondit bi a fluffy, yellaeish feebre that is a mix o lignin an cellulose.[1]

Uises[eedit | eedit soorce]

Kapok seeds within fibres in Kolkata, Wast Bengal, Indie.

The feebre is licht, very buoyant, resilient, resistant tae watter but it is very flammable. The process o harvestin an separatin the feebre is labour-intensive an manual. It is difficult tae spin but is uised as an alternative tae doun as fillin in mattresses, pillows, upholstery, zafus, an stuffed toys sic as teddy bears, an for insulation. It wis previously much uised in life jackets an seemilar devices till synthetic materials lairgely replaced the feebre. The seeds produce an ile uised locally in saip an that can be uised as fertilizer.

Native tribes alang the Amazon River hairst the kapok feebre tae wrap aroond thair blowgun dairts. The feebres creat a seal that allaes the pressur tae force the dairt throu the tube.

The commercial tree is maist hivily cultivatit in the rainforests o Asie, notably in Java (hence its nicknames), Philippines, Malaysie, Hainan Island in Cheenae as well as in Sooth Americae. The flouers are an important soorce o nectar an pollen for honeybees.

Ethnomedical uises[eedit | eedit soorce]

Ceiba pentandra bark decoction haes been uised as a diuretic, aphrodisiac, an tae treat headache, as well as type II diabetes. It is uised as an additive tae some versions o the hallucinogenic drink Ayahuasca.

Kapok seed ile[eedit | eedit soorce]

A pressed seed ile can be derived frae the seeds o the kapok tree. The ile haes a yellae colour an a pleasant, mild odour an taste.[2] It haes seemilar characteristics tae cottonseed ile. It acomes rancid quickly when exponed tae air. Kapok ile is produced in Indie, Indonesie an Malaysie. It haes an iodine value o 85-100, which maks it a nondryin ile. This means that it daes nae dry oot signeeficantly when exponed tae the air.[2] Kapok ile haes some potential as a biofuel an in paint preparation.

Seembolism[eedit | eedit soorce]

C. pentandra is the naitional emblem o Guatemala,[3] Puerto Rico,[4] an Equatorial Guinea. It appears on the latter's coat o airms an banner.[5]

Gallery[eedit | eedit soorce]

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. Gibbs, P. E.; Semir, J. Año (2003). "A taxonomic revision of the genus Ceiba Mill. (Bombacaceae)". ISSN 0211-1322. Retrieved 2013-06-22. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Kapok seed oil From the German Transport Information Service
  3. Hellmuth, Nicholas (2011). "Ceiba pentandra" (PDF). Revue Magazine.  Unkent parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. Philpott, Don (2003). Landmark Puerto Rico. Hunter Publishing, Inc. p. 14. ISBN 9781901522341. 
  5. Berry, Bruce. "Equatorial Guinea". CRW Flags. Retrieved 2013-04-27.