Red Silk Cotton Tree

Bombax ceiba

Name

Marathi: काटेसावर

Biological Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Spermatophyta
Sub-Division: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Sub-Class: Polypetalae
Series: Thalamiflorae
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Sub-Family: --
Genus: Bombax
Species: ceiba

Advantages

  • The cotton obtained from this plant is an excellent material for stuffing cushions and pillows.
  • A gum called "Mocharas" is used in medicine as an aphrodisiac.
  • The young fleshy roots are excellent as tonic and light wood is used in match box industry.

Interesting Facts

The scientific name comes from the greek word "Bombyx" meaning Silk (Also, Bombyx is the Genus name of Silkworm.)

Description

  • It is a very big deciduous tree with hard conical prickles on the stem and branches.
  • The flowering season is in the months of February-March during which the leaves shed and new leaves appear after the end of the flowering season.
  • Bombax ceiba L.