Ceiba pentandra
Ceiba pentandra
Safety & Hazards
The seeds, and the oil, contain cyclopropenoid fatty acids such as malvalic acid (7 - 8%) and sterculic acid (3%), which cause abnormal physiological reactions in animals. Therefore the consumption of kapok seeds or seed oil should be discouraged unless the cyclopropenoid acids have been chemically removed[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Kapok fibre is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat, and workers exposed to kapok dust for long periods may develop chronic bronchitis[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].
Botanical Description
Ceiba pentandra is a deciduous tree with a pagoda-shaped, thin crown. It can become a very large tree, capable of reaching a height of 70 metres, though it is more likely to be within the range 10 - 30 metres tall[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. , 320 Title Trees Commonly Cultivated in SE Asia Publication Author Jensen. M. Publisher FAO Regional Office, Bangkok. Year 1999 ISBN 974-89377-5-5 Description , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 100 - 300cm in diameter; it is usually spiny, and sometimes has prominent buttresses[ 320 Title Trees Commonly Cultivated in SE Asia Publication Author Jensen. M. Publisher FAO Regional Office, Bangkok. Year 1999 ISBN 974-89377-5-5 Description , 698 Title A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Ceiba Publication Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid 60 (2) pp259 - 300 Author Gibbs P.; Semir J. Website http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/fichero_articulo?codigo=762476&orden=78027 Publisher Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid Year 2003 ISBN Description A new treatment of the genus, which includes species previously in Chorisia. Available as a PDF file on the Internet. ]. A very important, multipurpose tree with a wide range of uses for the local population. It is especially valued for its fibre, but also supplies foods, medicines and many commodities. The tree is widely cultivated and semi-cultivated throughout the Tropics for medicines and fibre, it has become naturalized in many areas[ 238 Title Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Publication Author Bown. D. Publisher Dorling Kindersley, London. Year 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31 Description A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant. ]. It has long been grown around villages and temple, both for its many uses and also as an ornamental tree. However, since the seed floss is irritating to the eyes and nose, the tree is not really recommended for town planting[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is grown commercially, especially in Java, for the fibre obtained from the seed capsules[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ].