Kapok tree

This deciduous tree has an impressive stature. Typical of tropical rainforests, it can reach 50 to 70 metres in height. Its long, slender, greenish trunk branches out toward the top. It has massive buttress roots that provide stability in shallow soils.

The tree bears conical spines on its trunk and branches, especially visible on younger individuals.

Its leaves are compound and palmate, with 5 to 9 leaflets. The leaflets are elongated, pointed, and tapered at both ends. They have a leathery texture and can measure 8 to 15 centimetres in length.

The flowers have thick, fleshy petals, often whitish or pinkish, and sometimes greenish or yellowish. They measure 7 to 12 centimetres in diameter.

The fruit is a hanging, spindle-shaped capsule. It contains many small, round black seeds wrapped in a mass of silky fibres known as kapok, from which the tree gets its common name.

This tree is also known as the silk-cotton tree.