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Bombax pentandrum L.
Sp. Pl. 511 1753
Family: BOMBACACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.
Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 244 1791 Gaertn.

Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr

Synonyms:

See all synonyms of Ceiba pentandra

Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Mafumeira, Sumaúma, Samaúma, Algodoeiro, Kapok tree, White silk-cotton tree; White-flowered silk-cotton tree, Silk-cotton tree, Cottonwood tree, English cotton tree, Kapok tree, White silk-cotton tree; White-flowered silk-cotton tree, Silk-cotton tree, Cottonwood tree, English cotton tree, Ceiba, Silk-cotton, Java kapok, Java cotton, Kapok
AFRIKAANS (Afrikaans): Kapokboom
ARABIC ( لعربية ): قابوق خماسي الأسدية
BANYUN ( (Banyun, Nyun, or Bainouk): Kidem
BASARY (Basari, Oniyan, Onian, Onëyan, Ayan, Biyan, Wo): A-ndín
BASQUE (Euskara): Kapok
BEDIK ( Ménik, Onik, Banda): Gi-ndii
CATALAN (Català): Capoquer
CHINESE (中文): 吉贝, 爪哇木棉
CZECH (Čeština): Vlnovec pětimužný
DUTCH (Nederlands): Kapokboom
ESPERANT (Esperanto): Kapok-arbo
FIJI HINDI (Fiji Baat): Kapok
FINNISH (Suomi): Kapokkipuu, Amazoninkapokkipuu
FRENCH (Français): Fromager d’indo-malaisie, Fromager des Antilles, Fromager inerme du Golf de Guinée, Fromager commun, Fromager, Kapokier du Togo, Kapokier a fleurs blandes, Faux kapokier, Kapokier
GERMAN (Deutsch): Kapokbaum
HAITIAN CREOLE (Kreyòl ayisyen): Mapou
HAUSA (Harshen Hausa هَرْشَن هَوْسَ ): Rimi
HINDI ( हिन्दी): सेमर
INDONESIAN (Bahasa Indonesia): Kapuk randu
IRISH (Gaeilge): Capóc
ITALIAN (Italiano): Kapok
JAPANESE (日本語): カポック
LINGALA (Lingála): Buma
LITHUANIAN (Lietuvių): Tikrasis kapokmedis
MALAY (بهاس ملاي /Bahasa Melayu ): Pokok Kekabu
MALAYALAM (മലയാളം): പഞ്ഞിമരം
NAHUATL (Nāhuatl): Pōchōtl
NORWEGIAN (Bokmål): Ceiba pentandra
PERSIAN (فارسی): کاپوک
POLISH ( Polski): Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
QUECHUA (Runasimi / Qhichwa simi): Lupuna
RUSSIAN (Русский): Капок, Сейба пятитычинковая, Сумаума, Хлопковое дерево
SLOVENIAN (Slovenščina): Kapokovec
SOMALI ( Soomaaliga): Geed suuf
SPANISH (Español): Ceiba, Lupuna, Pochote, Bonga
SUNDANESE (Basa Sunda): Kapuk, Randu
SWEDISH (Svenska): Kapok
TAGALOG: Bulak, Koton, Algodon, Buboy, Bulak-kahoy, Kapok
TAMIL (தமிழ்): இலவு
TELUGU (తెలుగు): తెల్లబూరుగ, బూరుగ
THAI (ภาษาไทย): นุ่น
TONGAN (Faka-Tonga): Vavae
UKRAINIAN (Українська): Бавовняне дерево
VIETNAMESE (Tiếng Việt): Bông gạo

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Ceiba pentandra group

Sometimes 3 varieties are distinguished.

  • Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.: (var. pentandra), the cultivated kapok of West Africa and Asia. up to 30 m tall, bole unbranched, usually spineless, buttresses small or absent, branches horizontal or ascending, leaves intermediate between the 2 other varieties, flowering annually after leaf-shedding, fruits short or long, narrowed at both ends or banana-shaped, usually indehiscent, fibre usually white; 2n = 72-84.
  • Ceiba pentandra var. caribaea (DC.) Bakh.f.: up to 70 m tall, with unforked, buttressed and spiny bole and horizontal branches, leaves narrow, flowering irregular, fruits rather short and broad, dehiscent, fibre grey to white; 2n = 80, 88. Distribution: American tropics and West Africa.
  • Ceiba pentandra var. guineensis (Schumach.) H.G.Baker: up to 18 m tall, bole spineless without buttresses, often forked, branches ascending, leaves broad, flowering annually, fruits elongated and narrow at both ends, dehiscent, fibre grey; 2n = 72. Distribution: West Africa

22094 star Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr
22095 star Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr

22097 star Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr
22096 star Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr

22098 star Forest Starr & Kim Starr
Bombax pentandrum (Ceiba pentandra) Photo by: Forest Starr & Kim Starr
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