Bombax ceiba L.
Vernacular name: Silk cotton tree, Semal (Hindi: सेमल)
Species Name: Bombax ceiba L.
Family: Malvaceae
Habit: Deciduous lofty tree
Stem: Buttressed, spiny when young, smooth brown-grey bark.
Leaf: Digitate, 5-7 obovate leaflets 15-25 cm long.
Flowering: February–April
Flowers: Terminal fasciculate clusters (cauliflory – flowers on old stems/branches); large campanulate, scarlet, 5 petals reflexed, numerous stamens united into androphore.
Fruit: Oblong capsular 10-20 cm, velvety, cotton-filled with seeds.
Uses:
- The Roots yield a medicine used in impotency.
- Gum has medicinal properties and called Mocharasa is used in Ayurvedic medicines of diarrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding and dysentery.
- Plant has antipyretic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammation, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties.
- Flowers have high content of flavonoids and mangiferin.
- The fruit is cooked and eaten and also pickled as rich in Vitamin C.
- “Kapok“ found in seed pods of plant is used for filling economically priced pillows, quilts, sofas, etc.
- Wood is popular for construction work, but is very good and prized for the manufacture of plywood, matchboxes and sticks, scabbards, patterns, moulds, etc.
