, West Bengal, India]]
Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously separated in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety C. pentandra var. guineensis) to tropical west Africa. Kapok is the most used common name for the tree and may also refer to the fibre obtained from its seed pods. The tree is also known as the Java cotton, Java kapok, Silk cotton or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology.
The tree grows to 60-70 m (200-230 ft) tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are often (but not always) crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm (8 in) and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm (6 in) seed pods. The pods contain seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fibre that is a mix of lignin and cellulose.
Native tribes along the Amazon River harvest the 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 (hence its nicknames), Philippines, Malaysia, Hainan Island in China as well as in South America.
The flowers are an important source of nectar and pollen for honeybees.
This tree is the official national tree of Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
Ceiba pentandra is used as an additive to some versions of the hallucinogenic drink Ayahuasca.
== References ==
pentandra Category:Plants described in 1791 Category:Ayahuasca Category:Trees of Barbados Category:Trees of Belize Category:Trees of Brazil Category:Trees of Central America Category:Trees of Guyana Category:Trees of Hispaniola Category:Trees of Mexico Category:Trees of Puerto Rico Category:Trees of Suriname Category:Trees of Trinidad and Tobago Category:Fiber plants Category:Malay words and phrases Category:Crops originating from the Americas Category:Flora of Sierra Leone Category:Flora of Indonesia
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