Herbarium JCB

Bombax ceiba L.

Family : BOMBACACEAE
(BOMBAX FAMILY or KAPOK FAMILY )
Family (as per The Plant List) : Malvaceae
Species : Bombax ceiba
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Bombax ceiba L.
Common name : Silk Cotton Tree, Malabar Semul
Vernacular name : Nurma, Huttian, Shimal, Simal (Hin.); Kempu buruga (Kan.); Mullilavu, Buruga chettu (Tel.); Semulo, Simili, Simal (Ori.); Shalmali (San.)
Key identification features : A very large tree often with buttresses.Young plants have conical prickles on the stem; branches are in whorls and oriented horizontally. Leaves are palmately compound with 5-7 lanceolate leaflets. Flowers are large, crimson-red or scarlet, sometimes appearing white when the tree is leafless; stamens are many and occur in six bundles around the style. Fruit is a capsule. Seeds are embedded in a silky floss.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : January-May
Native : Tropical Asia
Comments : Occasional in plains of foothills and hills of deciduous forest up to 800 m, sometimes also reaching to 1400 m. Timber is used for manufacture of matches and coffins.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : India, Tropical Asia extending eastewards to New Guinea
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2002 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 1; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Bombax ceiba. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.