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Ceiba speciosa, formerly Chorisia speciosa
A species of deciduous tree native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It has a host of local common names, such as palo borracho (in Spanish literally "drunken stick"). It belongs to the same family as the baobab and the kapok. Another tree of the same genus, Ceiba chodatii, is often referred to by the same common name.
Garden in White river, South africa
The natural habitat of the floss silk tree is the north-east of Argentina, east of Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. It is resistant to drought and moderate cold. It grows fast in spurts when water is abundant, and sometimes reaches more than 25 metres (82 ft) in height. Its trunk is bottle-shaped, generally bulging in its lower third, measuring up to 2 metres (7 ft) in girth. It is studded with thick conical prickles which serve to store water for dry times. In younger trees, the trunk is green due to its high chlorophyll content, which makes it capable of performing photosynthesis when leaves are absent; with age it turns to gray. The cotton inside the fruit pods, although not of as good quality as that of the kapok tree, has been used as stuffing f(density = 0.27 g/cm³), soft and flexible, and is employed in packaging, to make canoes, as wood pulp to make paper, and in ropes. From the seeds it is possible to obtain vegetable oil (both edible and industrially useful).
10 Comments
Thank you all for the ID! It is about time I change this :) And Jellis, I should have listened to you in the first place :D Must be a speciosa!
Tina
Chorisia speciosa Silk Floss Tree
I know that plant as Painera. Scientific name: Ceiba speciosa
Thank you very much for sharing your ideas of an ID Jellis! I am doubting (liket that tree you suggested) the stem of this one was very straight and did not have the bulky shape the Ceiba speciosa has. Wish I could smuggle a seed with me back to the northern part of the world :)
Thanks for all the comments :)
Roemer, I agree. Climbing is out of the question. It was tricky enough to photograph it. :)
Kel, next time I get a chance I will take more shots :)
Thanks Hernandez and dear António!
Would it be a Silk floss tree Ceiba speciosa not native?
Great photo Tiz,amazing tree,congrats and thanks for sharing
Love the " point" of view
eu amo os espinhos. how you can be near this beauty and not take more photos? tsc tsc
i dont wanna climb that tree O_O