Bombax ceiba
L., Sp. pl. 511. 1753 p.p.; Robyns in Taxon 10: 160. 1961 & in Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 83: 88, t. 3. 1963. B. malabaricum DC., Prodr. 1: 479. 1824; Masters in Fl. Brit. India. 1: 349. 1874. Salmalia malabarica (DC.) Schott in Schott & Endl., Melet. Bot. 35. 1832. Gossampinus malabaricus (DC.) Merr. in Lingn. Sci. J. 5: 126. 1927.
Beng. & Hindi: Simul; Mal.: Mocha, Ilavu; Sans. & Tel.: Salmali; Tam.: Purani.
Trees, 30 - 40 m tall; trunk straight, usually buttressed; bark greyish, aculeate when young with sharp, conical woody prickles; branches in whorls (3 - 5), spreading horizontally in all directions at intervals of 1.5 - 2.5 m, prickled, old prickles blunt. Leaves digitate, 5 - 7-foliolate; petioles 12 - 25 cm long; leaflets 12 - 24 x 7 - 10 cm, lanceolate to elliptic, tapering at base, usually long caudate or acuminate at apex, entire, glossy above, minutely tufted puberulous to glabrous beneath; petiolules 2 - 2.5 cm long. Flowers bright red or white showy, solitary or in clusters towards tips of leafless branchlets, 10 - 12 cm long; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long, thick, glabrous or tufted puberulous. Calyx campanulate, irregularly 2 - 5 lobed, lobes 3 - 4 x 3 cm, coriaceous, glabrous to sparsely puberulous outside, silky inside, falling of with corolla and stamens. Petals 5, bright red or white, 8.5 - 18 x 3.5 - 5 cm, obovate to elliptic-obovate, rarely oblong, recurved, fleshy, tomentellous outside, imbricate. Stamens 65 - 80, 3 - 7.5 cm long in 6 bundles in 2 series, the central bundle with 15 stamens, of which 5 longer (4 - 5 cm) and 10 shorter (3 - 3.5 cm) and 5 bundles in the outer series, each with 10 stamens (4.5 - 5 cm long); staminal tube short; filaments flat, angular; anthers involute, reniform, bilocular on longer filaments of central bundle, the rest unilocular. Ovary conical, minutely puberulous or glabrous; styles ca 6 cm long; stigmas 5-fid, lobes spreading. Capsules oblong to ovoid, cuneate at both ends, 11 - 18 cm long, velvety, 5-valved, valves silky inside. Seeds numerous pyriform, smooth, dark brown, embedded in creamy white silky fibers.
Fl. Feb. - March; Fr. April- May.
Distrib. India: Throughout up to 1500 m; often cultivated as an avenue tree.
Notes. Roots are reported to be a stimulent and are used as tonic in male impotency. Gum exuded from the trunk is used for curing dysentry and diarrohea under the name "Mocha ras" by local people. The wood is light but hard and durable in water. The timber is used for construction of sea-going boats, for making plywood, packing boxes, match boxes and splinters. The Kapok' (Silk Cotton) produced from the fruits is extensively used for stuffing beds, pillows and quilts.
Trees, 30 - 40 m tall; trunk straight, usually buttressed; bark greyish, aculeate when young with sharp, conical woody prickles; branches in whorls (3 - 5), spreading horizontally in all directions at intervals of 1.5 - 2.5 m, prickled, old prickles blunt. Leaves digitate, 5 - 7-foliolate; petioles 12 - 25 cm long; leaflets 12 - 24 x 7 - 10 cm, lanceolate to elliptic, tapering at base, usually long caudate or acuminate at apex, entire, glossy above, minutely tufted puberulous to glabrous beneath; petiolules 2 - 2.5 cm long. Flowers bright red or white showy, solitary or in clusters towards tips of leafless branchlets, 10 - 12 cm long; pedicels 1 - 2 cm long, thick, glabrous or tufted puberulous. Calyx campanulate, irregularly 2 - 5 lobed, lobes 3 - 4 x 3 cm, coriaceous, glabrous to sparsely puberulous outside, silky inside, falling of with corolla and stamens. Petals 5, bright red or white, 8.5 - 18 x 3.5 - 5 cm, obovate to elliptic-obovate, rarely oblong, recurved, fleshy, tomentellous outside, imbricate. Stamens 65 - 80, 3 - 7.5 cm long in 6 bundles in 2 series, the central bundle with 15 stamens, of which 5 longer (4 - 5 cm) and 10 shorter (3 - 3.5 cm) and 5 bundles in the outer series, each with 10 stamens (4.5 - 5 cm long); staminal tube short; filaments flat, angular; anthers involute, reniform, bilocular on longer filaments of central bundle, the rest unilocular. Ovary conical, minutely puberulous or glabrous; styles ca 6 cm long; stigmas 5-fid, lobes spreading. Capsules oblong to ovoid, cuneate at both ends, 11 - 18 cm long, velvety, 5-valved, valves silky inside. Seeds numerous pyriform, smooth, dark brown, embedded in creamy white silky fibers.
Fl. Feb. - March; Fr. April- May.
Distrib. India: Throughout up to 1500 m; often cultivated as an avenue tree.
Notes. Roots are reported to be a stimulent and are used as tonic in male impotency. Gum exuded from the trunk is used for curing dysentry and diarrohea under the name "Mocha ras" by local people. The wood is light but hard and durable in water. The timber is used for construction of sea-going boats, for making plywood, packing boxes, match boxes and splinters. The Kapok' (Silk Cotton) produced from the fruits is extensively used for stuffing beds, pillows and quilts.
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