| Description:
These
are palmate leaves of Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba), a
fast growing tree which can attain a girth of 2 to 3 m, and
height about 30 m, in about 50 years. Its wood is as light as
10 to 12 kg, per cubic foot. It lacks strength, but has good
water enduring property, and is used in manufacture of plywood,
matchboxes, sticks, scabbards, patterns, moulds, etc. and also
for making canoes, light duty boats and other structures required
under water.The trunk and branches have short, thick bristles,
which have medicinal properties. The tree is commonly found
in India and widely distributed in the tropical regions of S.
E. Asia, Northern Australia and USA. Leaves: Alternate, compound
with 5 to 7 leaflets arranged in a palmate fashion on a long
petiole. The tree is deciduous and loses its leaves in winter,
usually around January to February, just as the flowers are
beginning to open. The new leaf buds emerge in May after the
end of flowering. Flowers: Conspicuous bright scarlet flowers
with five petals. The flowering period is from February to May
but will be shorter if the weather is warm. The tree is pollinated
by a large number of bird species who are attracted by the copius
nectar. Fruit: A large woody capsule, about 20cm long, containing
up to 400 seeds surrounded by long white fluffy hair. In dry
conditions the seeds can be transported up to 500m by the hairs,
resulting in wind pollination. The sap (Gosapol) of seeds is
fed upon by red silk cotton
bugs. |
