Ceiba pentandra
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Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic garden, Harare
Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic garden, Harare
Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic garden, Harare
Photo: Mark Hyde
National Botanic garden, Harare
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Bombax pentandrum L. Ceiba casearia Medik. Eriodendron anfractuosum DC. |
| Common names: | Kapok tree (English) Silk-cotton tree (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Large tree, to 50 m or more. Trunk large, usually spiny, with wide narrow buttresses. Leaves palmate ; leaflets 5-7, oblong-lanceolate, to 15 cm long, entire. Flowers usually appearing before the leaves. Calyx with 5 short lobes. Petals to 3.5 cm long, oblong-obovate, white, yellowish or rose. Capsule 10 - 25 cm long, ellipsoid to fusiform. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | pentandra: with five stamens. |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Pantropical. |
| Botanical divisions: | |
| Growth form(s): | Tree. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Bailey, L.H. & Bailey, E.Z. (1976). Hortus Third. A concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc., New York Page 239. Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 560. (Includes a picture). Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 156. Parker, T. (2023). Common Trees of Mozambique The Tree Press, Austin, Texas, USA Pages 252 - 253. (Includes a picture). Wild, H. (1961). Bombacaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 414 - 517. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Ceiba pentandra:
Our websites:
Flora of Burundi: Ceiba pentandraFlora of Malawi: cultivated Ceiba pentandra
Flora of Mozambique: Ceiba pentandra
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Ceiba pentandra
Flora of Zambia: Ceiba pentandra
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Ceiba pentandra
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ceiba pentandra
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ceiba pentandraAfrican Plant Database: Ceiba pentandra
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ceiba pentandra
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ceiba pentandra
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ceiba pentandra
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ceiba pentandra
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ceiba pentandra
JSTOR Plant Science: Ceiba pentandra
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ceiba pentandra
Plants of the World Online: Ceiba pentandra
Tropicos: Ceiba pentandra
Wikipedia: Ceiba pentandra