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Bombax ceiba L.

Red silk cottontree (en), Fromager (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Malvaceae > Bombax

Characteristics

Trees to 25 m tall; trunk buttressed, usually very spiny on young trees; bark gray-white; branches spreading. Stipules minute; petiole 10-20 cm; leaflets 5-7, petiolules 1.5-4 cm; blades oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 10-16 × 3.5-5.5 cm, glabrous, lateral veins 15-17 on each side of midrib, ascending, base broad or tapering, apex acuminate. Flowers solitary, terminal, ca. 10 cm in diam. Calyx cup-shaped, 2-3(-4.5) cm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially densely yellowish sericeous, calyx lobes 3-5, semi-orbicular, ca. 1.5 × 2.3 cm. Petals usually red, sometimes orange-red, obovate-oblong, 8-10 × 3-4 cm, fleshy, both surfaces stellate puberulent, but sparser adaxially. Filament tube short, filaments thicker at base than apex, outer series in 5 fascicles, each with more than 10 stamens, inner series bifid, central filaments with 10 stamens shorter, entire. Capsule ellipsoid, 10-15 × 4.5-5 cm, densely gray-white villous and stellate puberulent. Seeds many, obovate, smooth. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. summer.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.0
Mature height (meter) 22.5 - 25.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 1.6
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Hot, dry river valleys, savannah; at elevations below 1,400 metres in southern China. Humid lowland deciduous forests. Often found near stream banks.
Light 6-8
Soil humidity 2-7
Soil texture 1-5
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses animal food environmental use fiber food fuel gene source gum invertebrate food material medicinal oil social use tea timber wood
Edible barks flowers fruits gums leaves pods roots seeds
Therapeutic use Acne vulgaris (bark), Analgesics (bark), Astringents (bark), Demulcents (bark), Diuretics (bark), Dysentery (bark), Emetics (bark), Exanthema (bark), Furunculosis (bark), Gonorrhea (bark), Headache (bark), Hemorrhoids (bark), Hemostatics (bark), Hypoglycemic agents (bark), Pain (bark), General tonic for rejuvenation (bark), Syphilis (bark), Wound healing (bark), Wounds and injuries (bark), Coagulants (bark), Aphrodisiacs (flower), Astringents (flower), Colic (flower), Colitis (flower), Conjunctivitis (flower), Demulcents (flower), Diarrhea (flower), Diuretics (flower), Dysentery (flower), Furunculosis (flower), Hemorrhage (flower), Hemostasis (flower), Inflammation (flower), Laxatives (flower), Leukorrhea (flower), Menorrhagia (flower), Oxytocics (flower), Premature ejaculation (flower), General tonic for rejuvenation (flower), Skin diseases (flower), Snake bites (flower), Splenomegaly (flower), Sterilization, reproductive (flower), Cooling effect on body (flower), Analgesics (fruit), Astringents (fruit), Calculi (fruit), Diabetes mellitus (fruit), Diarrhea (fruit), Diuretics (fruit), Expectorants (fruit), Inflammation (fruit), Laxatives (fruit), Leukorrhea (fruit), Increase physical endurance, strength and stamina (fruit), General tonic for rejuvenation (fruit), Skin diseases (fruit), Snake bites (fruit), Ulcer (fruit), Cooling effect on body (fruit), Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (leaf), Antifungal agents (leaf), Anti-inflammatory agents (leaf), Exanthema (leaf), Hypersensitivity (leaf), Skin diseases (leaf), Urination disorders (leaf), Aphrodisiacs (plant exudate), Astringents (plant exudate), Demulcents (plant exudate), Dental caries (plant exudate), Diarrhea (plant exudate), Dysentery (plant exudate), Disorder of ejaculation (plant exudate), Hematinics (plant exudate), Hematologic diseases (plant exudate), Hemoptysis (plant exudate), Hemorrhage (plant exudate), Hemostasis (plant exudate), Hemostatics (plant exudate), Influenza, human (plant exudate), Laxatives (plant exudate), Leukorrhea (plant exudate), Menorrhagia (plant exudate), Pain (plant exudate), General tonic for rejuvenation (plant exudate), Tuberculosis, pulmonary (plant exudate), Urination disorders (plant exudate), Analgesics (root), Anti-infective agents (root), Aphrodisiacs (root), Astringents (root), Common cold (root), Demulcents (root), Diarrhea (root), Diuretics (root), Dysentery (root), Disorder of ejaculation (root), Emetics (root), Erectile dysfunction (root), Expectorants (root), Furunculosis (root), Gonorrhea (root), Hematologic diseases (root), Hemostasis (root), Leukorrhea (root), Liver diseases (root), Menorrhagia (root), Oxytocics (root), Pain (root), General tonic for rejuvenation (root), Syphilis (root), Vomiting (root), Nocturnal enuresis (root), Anemia, hemolytic (seed), Cardiotonic agents (seed), Common cold (seed), Cystitis (seed), Gonorrhea (seed), Hemoptysis (seed), Skin diseases (seed), Acne vulgaris (stem), Antiviral agents (stem), Spasm (stem), Ache(Leg) (unspecified), Antidote(Centipede) (unspecified), Antidote(Scorpion) (unspecified), Antidote(Spider) (unspecified), Atrophy (unspecified), Bite(Snake) (unspecified), Cholera (unspecified), Gum (unspecified), Menorrhagia (unspecified), Neuralgia (unspecified), Pleurisy (unspecified), Rheumatism (unspecified), Rinderpest (unspecified), Smallpox (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Spiderlick (unspecified), Stomatitis (unspecified), Swelling (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Caries (unspecified), Leprosy (unspecified), Megalospleny (unspecified), Pneumonia (unspecified), Hemorrhage (unspecified), Alterative (unspecified), Aphrodisiac (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified), Impotency (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Demulcent (unspecified), Cancer(Uterus) (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Filler (unspecified), Hemostatic (unspecified), Restorative (unspecified), Tumor(Abdomen) (unspecified), Bladder (unspecified), Calculus (unspecified), Catarrh (unspecified), Cystitis (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Hemostat (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Kidney (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Soap (unspecified), Gonorrhea (unspecified), Wound (unspecified), Acne vulgaris (unspecified), Analgesics (unspecified), Antifungal agents (unspecified), Antipyretics (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified), Aphrodisiacs (unspecified), Cachexia (unspecified), Carbuncle (unspecified), Dental caries (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Disorder of ejaculation (unspecified), Emaciation (unspecified), Emetics (unspecified), Enteritis (unspecified), Exanthema (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Fistula (unspecified), Hematuria (unspecified), Hemoptysis (unspecified), Hepatitis (unspecified), Kidney diseases (unspecified), Lymphoma (unspecified), Pain (unspecified), Periodontal diseases (unspecified), General tonic for rejuvenation (unspecified), Reproductive health (unspecified), Scabies (unspecified), Scorpion stings (unspecified), Snake bites (unspecified), Splenomegaly (unspecified), Stomatitis, aphthous (unspecified), Syphilis (unspecified), Urinary calculi (unspecified), Urination disorders (unspecified), Wounds and injuries (unspecified), Diabetes mellitus (wood), Diarrhea (wood), Snake bites (wood)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) 1
Optimum temperature (C°) 28 - 42
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Bombax ceiba habit picture by Oleg Pokladov (cc-by-sa)
Bombax ceiba habit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Bombax ceiba leaf picture by Vikram Kumar (cc-by-sa)
Bombax ceiba leaf picture by Jagdish Gabhane (cc-by-sa)
Bombax ceiba leaf picture by Ian Shackle (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Bombax ceiba flower picture by Arnaud Moeykens (cc-by-sa)
Bombax ceiba flower picture by Asaduzzaman Noor (cc-by-sa)
Bombax ceiba flower picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Bombax ceiba world distribution map, present in Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Bhutan, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Taiwan, Province of China, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, and South Africa

Conservation status

Bombax ceiba threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:559120-1
WFO ID wfo-0000568369
COL ID MF6V
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 629181
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Bombax heptaphyllum Bombax quinatum Pochota quinata Pachira quinata Bombacopsis quinata Bombax fendleri Bombax malabaricum Bombax thorelii Bombax tussacii Gossampinus malabarica Gossampinus rubra Gossampinus thorelii Salmalia malabarica Melaleuca grandiflora Bombax aculeatum Bombax ceiba Bombax ceiba var. leiocarpum Bombax ceiba
WorldFloraDB 2024