Ceiba pentandra Kopok tree, Silk-cotton tree

Transcription

1 Ceiba pentandra Kopok tree, Silk-cotton tree By Isabel Zucker Ta Prohm, Cambodia

2 Largest known specimen in Lal Bagh Gardens in Bangalore, India.

3 Ceiba pentandra Taxonomy Family: Malvaceae Sub family: Bombacaceae -Bombax spp. in same family - much online confusion as to which tree is primarily in Ta Praham, Cambodia. Fig(Moraceae), banyan and kapok trees in Ta Praham Often referred to as a banyan tree, which is quite confusing.

4 Distribution Originated in the American tropics, natural and human distribution. Africa, Asia. Especially Indonesia and Thailand Indian ocean islands Ornamental shade tree Zone Humid areas, rainforest, dry areas Mean annual precipitation inches per year Temperatures ranging from unaffected by frost Elevation from 0-4,500 feet Dry season ranging from 0-6 months

5 Characteristics Rapidly growing, deciduous Reaches height up to 200 feet Can grow 13 feet per year Diameter up to 9 feet above buttress Buttress can extend 10 feet from the trunk and be 10 feet tall large umbrella-shaped canopies emerge above the forest canopy

6 Home to many animals Birds, frogs, insects Flowers open in the evening, pollinated by bats Epiphytes grow in branches

7 Compound leaves with 5-8 lanceshaped leaflets 3-8 inches long Dense clusters of whitish to pink flowers December to February 3-6 inch long, elliptical fruits. Seeds of fruit surrounded by dense, cottony fibers. Fibers almost pure cellulose, buoyant, impervious to water, low thermal conductivity, cannot be spun. Used for insulation, padding in sleeping bags, life preservers, stuffing in mattresses and pillows. Kapok fibre is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat, and workers exposed to kapok dust for long periods may develop chronic bronchitis.

8 Native peoples to the West Indies and coastal central and South America make canoes Some can carry more than 100 men! Wood lightweight and easy to work Lacks durability, susceptible to insects and decay so not used for other construction Dugout canoes still made today from Ceiba trees Buttresses made into plates, doors, trays, tables

9 Ethnobotanical Uses Timber, fiber. Oil for lamps, paints, soap making Leaves can be eaten by cattle, goats, sheep Leaves, flowers, young fruits eaten and cooked into sauces Flowers visited by bees, unique taste to honey Seed oil in soap and pharmaceutical manufacturing African traditional medicine Treat diarrhoea, dysentry, hypertension, dysmenorrhoea Stem bark decoctions for treating toothache and mouth problems, stomach issues, heart trouble, fever, asthma, wounds, sores Leaf sap drunk to treat mental illness, skin infections. En.htm

10 Urban Uses City of Plantation, FL Department of Landscape Architecture lists as a flowering shade tree Roots tend to crack sidewalks, roads and buildings; large surface roots Does not withstand initial shade; light loving Requires pruning Fast growth rate could promote weak structure and branch failure Can grow on stone! e/recommended-tree-list.pdf

11 Magnificent Urban takeover!!

12 Diseases Infections caused by fungal pathogens Anthracnose, leaf spot by Colletortrichum capsici. Stem dieback by Fusarium solani, Lasiodiplodia theobromae Host tree of Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus, causes swollen shoot disease in cocoa Devastates cocoa production in Ghana and neighboring countries Ceiba not negatively effected by virus

13 Bibliography Silk Cotton Tree: Home to the spirits of the forest. Caribbean Archaeology. Florida Museum of Natural History %20%284%29.pdf pentandra.pdf mended-tree-list.pdf

14