Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.Family: Malvaceae
Synonyms: Bombax cumanense Kunth, Bombax guineense Schum. & Thonn., Bombax guineensis Schumach., Bombax inerme L., Bombax mompoxense Kunth, Bombax occidentale Spreng. [Illegitimate], Bombax orientale Spreng., Bombax pentandrum L., Bombax pentandrum Jacq., Ceiba anfractuosa (DC.) M.Gómez, Ceiba caribaea (DC.) A.Chev., Ceiba casearia Medik., Ceiba guineensis (Thonn.) A.Chev., Ceiba occidentalis (Spreng.) Burkill, Ceiba thonnerii A. Chev., Ceiba thonningii A.Chev., Eriodendron anfractuosum DC., Eriodendron caribaeum G.Don, Eriodendron caribaeum G. Don ex Loud., Eriodendron guineense G. Don ex Loud., Eriodendron occidentale (Spreng.) G.Don, Eriodendron orientale Kostel., Eriodendron pentandrum (L.) Kurz, Gossampinus alba Buch.-Ham., Gossampinus rumphii Schott & Endl., Xylon pentandrum Kuntze, Ceiba guineensis var. ampla A. Chev., Ceiba guineensis var. clausa A. Chev., Ceiba pendrandra f. grisea Ulbr., Ceiba pentandra f. albolana Ulbr., Ceiba pentandra var. caribaea (DC.) Bakh., Ceiba pentandra var. clausa Ulbr., Ceiba pentandra var. dehiscens Ulbr., Ceiba pentandra f. grisea Ulbr., Ceiba pentandra var. indica Bakhuisen, Eriodendron anfractuosum var. africanum DC., Eriodendron anfractuosum var. caribaeum DC., Eriodendron anfractuosum var. guianense Sagot, Eriodendron anfractuosum var. indicum DC.
Vernacular names:
Bengali: শ্ৱেত সিমল Shwet Simul
Hindi: Safed semal सफ़ेद सेमल
Kannada: Dudi
Malayalam: Pannimaram
Manipuri: মোৰেহ তেৰা Moreh Tera
Marathi: Samali
Sanskrit: Kutashalmali, Shveta Shaalmali
Tamil: Pancu
Telugu: Tellaburaga, తెల్ల బూరుగ
Arabic: Rum (Chad), Shajaret Al Kutun;
Australia: Paina;
Bambara: Bàna, Bànan (Mali);
Benin: Gounma (Bariba) Araba;
Bolivia: Hoja De Yuca, Toborochi (Spanish),
Brazil: Arvore-Da-Lã, Arvore-Da-Seda, Barriguda
De Espinho, Mai-Das-Arvores, Paina-Lisa,
Paineira, Samaúma-Cabeluda, Samaúna Da
Várzea, Samaúma-Lisa, Sumaúma, Sumaúma-
Barriguda, Sumaúma-Branca, Sumaúma-Da-
Várzea, Sumaúma-De-Macaco, Sumaúma-Rosada,
Sumaúma-Verdadeira (Portuguese); British West
Indies: Corkwood;
Burmese: Thinbawle;
Cameroon: Douma (Sangmelima, Ebolowa), Dum (Yaounde), Bouma (Douala), Djam (Bangangte), Nfuma,
Nkouma, Ogouma;
Dutch: Kapokboom;
Fijian: Semar, Vauvau Ni Vavalangi;
Finnish: Capoc, Kapokkipuu, Seiba;
French: Bois Coton, Capoc, Faux Contonni
Portuguese: Barriguda, Mafumeira, Paina,
Indonesia: Randu (Java), Randu (Sundanese),
Kapuek, Kapeh Panji, Panji (Sumatra);
Italian: Albero Del Kapok, Pianta Del Kapok;
Japanese: Kapokku, Kiwata Kapokku;
Khmer: Koo, Kor;
Kosraean: Cutin, Kuhtin;
Laotian: Kokuiyu, Nguiz Baanz;
Liberia: Gwe, Gwèh
Desctiption: Tree to 40 m tall, trunk to 1.5 m diameter, crown broad, bark pale grayish brown, with horizontal lines, young trunks with warty, conical spines; older, buttressed trunks have rows of warty-flaky bumps about 1.5 cm diameter; buttresses large, thick, to 10 m tall, extending out to 10 m from base.
Leaves alternate, crowded at branch tips, stalk 5–23 cm long, blade palmately compound, leaflets 10–21 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, lance-shaped, pointed at both ends; leafless during dry season.
Flowers white, pale yellow, or pink, brown inside, showy, radially symmetrical, 5-parted, petals 3–4 cm long, 1 cm wide; pollinated by bats, visited by many insects; blooms Jan.–Feb. as leaves drop.
Fruit dry, 5-parted, 10–26 cm long, to 4 cm wide, opening to expose grayish kapok fibers and seeds; fruits Mar.–Apr.
Uses: Anti-inflammatory, Hypoglycaemic,Antiangiogenic, Antimicrobial, Antiulcerogenic, Antidrepanocytary, Hepatoprotective, Antivenom Activity.
Young leaves, buds, and fruits eaten like okra. Seeds roasted and eaten, used in
soups or fermented into “kantong”; presscake used in making some types of tempeh. Seed oil
used in cooking. Flowers and dried stamens also eaten, the latter in curries; used in coconut
milk sauce. Ashes used as salt substitute (FAC; TAN; UPW).
Asian Indians suggest the root j • uice for diabetes (KAB).
• Ayurvedic suggest the gum for blood disorders, cancer, hepatosis, obesity, pain, and
splenosis (KAB).
• Brazilians suggest the sap in conjunctivosis (MPB).
• Cambodians prescribe the fruit in migraine and vertigo (KAB).
• Filipinos use bark as aphrodisiac (IHB).
• Haitians bathe or poultice leaf decoction onto bites, boils, dermatosis, erysipelas, fatigue,infections, and sprains, drinking the tea for cough, hoarseness, and sore throat (VOD).
• Haitians mix fruit pulp with 1/3 lemon juice as antiseptic in nervousness and yellow fever (VOD).
• Haitians use a compress or lotion of the leaves to alleviate dizziness (VOD).
• Haitians use tender shoot decoction as a contraceptive (VOD). Conversely (perhaps because of the tree’s rapid growth, or more probably the fecundity of the seed), the bark sap is given to sterile women to promote conception in Congo, Ivory Coast, and Upper Volta (UPW).
• Javanese take bark, with areca, nutmeg, and sugar candy as a diuretic for bladder stones (IHB).
• Javanese take leaf tea for catarrh, cough, enterosis, hoarseness, and urethritis (IHB).
• Latinos apply decoction (4 g bark/l water, boil 15 min) to leg ulcers and hemorrhoids (JFM).
• Malayans use leaf decoction or tea in childbirth, fever, and syphilis (IHB).
• Singaporans pound leaves with onions and turmeric for cough (IHB).
• Yunani suggest the gum or roots for biliousness, boils, blood disorders, dysuria, fever, gonorrhea, impotence, and leprosy. [Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America]
Uses: The roots are useful in gonorrhoea, dysuria, intermittent fevers. The bark is useful in hepatopathy, abdominal complaint, tumours and colic. [HERBAL CURES: TRADITIONAL APPROACH]
In Burma, the roots are used to invigorate and the leaves are used to treat gonorrhea. In Cambodia, the root is used to reduce fever. The bark is used to promote urination, to treat gonorrhea, to reduce fever, and to treat diarrhea. In Malaysia, the bark is used to treat asthma. In Indonesia, a decoction is used as a drink to treat gravels (small kidney calculi), and a decoction of leaves is used to treat syphilis. The juice squeezed from the leaves is used to treat asthma and coughs. In the Philippines, it is used to reduce fever and to promote libido, and the gummy exudate of the plant is eaten to treat dysentery, menorrhagia, and diabetes. Some evidence has already been presented, which lends support to the argument for its antidiabetic and antiinflammatory properties. [Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific]
Stem: The French Guiana Wayapi wash in a decoction of the bark for its febrifuge properties. Leaf: Surinam Indonesians use juice from bruised young branches in a preparation to treat asthma. Infusion for dissolving phlegm and to soothe rectal inflammation. Leaves stewed for a gonorrhoea remedy. [Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana)]
90 Published articles of Ceiba pentandra
