Bombax

"Simal" redirects here. For the Azerbaijani village, see Şimal.

Bombax
Bombax ceiba flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Bombacoideae
Genus: Bombax
L.[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms[2]

Salmalia Schott & Endl.[1]

Bombax is a genus of mainly tropical trees in the mallow family. They are native to western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the subtropical regions of East Asia and northern Australia. It is distinguished from the genus Ceiba, which has whiter flowers.

Common names for the genus include silk cotton tree, simal, red cotton tree, kapok, and simply bombax. Currently four species are recognised, although many plants have been placed in the genus that were later moved.[3]

The genus is best known for the species Bombax ceiba, which is widely cultivated throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It is native to southern and eastern Asia and northern Australia.

Bombax species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the leaf-miner Bucculatrix crateracma which feeds exclusively on Bombax ceiba.

The tree appears on the flag of Equatorial Guinea.

The tree fibers are 100% cellulose, able to float, impervious to water, and have a low thermal conductivity. Called Kapok in Asia, the fibers are mainly used for insulation in sleeping bags and life preservers. The fibers are also used as stuffing for pillows and mattresses.

  1. ^ a b "Genus: Bombax L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference POWO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GRINSpecies was invoked but never defined (see the help page).