Bombax costatum

Bombax costatum is a tree usually reaching a height of 5 – 15 m. It flowers in the dry season before the leaves appear.

Description

A tree. It grows 3-15 m high. The trunk can be 1 m around. It loses its leaves during the year. The bark is grey and deeply cracked. The bark has triangular ridges with thorns. The small branches are densely hairy when young. The leaves are compound and have leaflets like fingers. They are densely hairy when young. There are 5-7 leaflets. They are 6-13 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are oval but rounded and taper to a short tip. The stalk is 7-20 cm long. The flowers are produced when the tree is leafless. The flowers are single and erect on the branches. They are orange to red. They are 4-7 cm long. The fruit are long or rounded and black or dark brown. They are 6-16 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. They break into 5 pieces. The seeds are black. They are in white kapok.

Edible Uses

The flowers are dried and used in sauces. Young fruit are cut, dried, and used in dishes. Young leaves are cooked as a vegetable or dried and pounded for use in cooking.

Traditional Uses

The flowers are dried and used in sauces. The young fruit are cut and dried and then used in dishes. The young leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable. They are dried and pounded.

Medicinal Uses

The bark of both the stem and the roots is diuretic and emmenagogue. A decoction is used for the treatment of skin diseases, yellow fever, headaches, and 'to make a woman’s breasts fine'. When treating headaches, a compress is also tied on the head. The leaves and immature fruit are an emollient. The leaves are haemostatic. They are used in the treatment of haemorrhages. The leaves are prescribed, with other plants, for the treatment of blennorrhoea and diarrhoea. A warm bath of the decoction is given to feverish patients, especially children. Various parts of the plant are used in the treatment of fevers or to promote lactation and as tonic for fatigue.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. A savannah tree. It grows in the Sahel. It grows in open savannah woodland especially in rocky places. It can grow in arid places. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Where It Grows

Africa, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, West Africa*,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed need treatment before planting. They can also be grown from suckers.

Propagation

Direct seeding is a preferred propagation mode, however wildlings may also be used. The seedlings are difficult to plant in spite of their vigorous rooting ability. Natural regeneration is easy and abundant when the plants are sufficiently protected against fire and livestock. Cuttings root easily.

Other Uses

Kapok fibre is obtained from the fruit. The fibres are mainly used as filling, especially for pillows. The fruit contains a large amount of white floss, known as Kapok fibre. It is used for stuffing mattresses, pillows, cushions, etc. The bark has tannins and yields a brown dye. The seeds have a high oil content of up to 19.8%. They are a possible oil source. Extracts from the plant exhibit molluscicidal activity. An extract of a culture of the leaf cells is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant. The wood is pale yellow to whitish with an orange lustre when newly felled, it soon turns grey when exposed to sunlight. There are no visible differences between the heartwood and the sapwood. The wood is very soft and weighs 350-450 kg/m³ when air-dried. It is moderately solid, easy to season and not liable to major warping or shrinkage. Untreated, the wood is soon attacked and destroyed by fungi and insects. Wood is easy to work, though tools need to be kept sharp to avoid a woolly surface; nails and screws can be used, but glueing is preferable in order to obtain stable joints. The wood is used particularly in sound insulation, for radio cabinets, drums, crates, kitchen utensils, match-stick manufacture etc. Traditionally, larger logs are used in constructing dug-out canoes. Being a fire resistant species the tree can serve well as a boundary mark. Stakes are sometimes planted in order to make a live fence. The leaf litter from the tree has been shown to enhance soil fertility. When growing wild, the tree is seen as an indicator plant of stony soils.

Notes

There are about 8-20 Bombax species. Also put in the family Bombacaceae. In the subfamily Bombacoideae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Agougou, Belofa, Boumboum, Bregue, Bumbum, Bunabu, Bunkungo, Buufore, Djoe, Djohi, Djoia, Fula, Garablaobe, Genger, Jomi, Kapokier rouge, Karayah, Kattupa, Kuriga, Kuruhi, Kurya, Luncum, Mikikireck, Mufo, Polom-fidalgo, Polom-foro, Sumauma, Tikonfaati, Ulofo, Veekou, Velta, Voaka

References (31)

• Achigan-Dako, E, et al (Eds), 2009, Catalogue of Traditional Vegetables in Benin. International Foundation for Science.
• Alyegba, S. S. et al, 2013, Ethnobotanical Survey of Edible Wild Plants in Tiv Communities of Benue State, Nigeria. Journal of Natural Sciences Research. Vol.3, No.7
• Assogbadjo, A. E. et al, 2013, Specific Richness and Cultural Importance of Wild Edible Trees in Benin. Acta Hort. 979, ISHS 2013
• Batawila, K., et al, 2007, Diversite et gestion des legumes de cueillete au Togo. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development 7( 3& 4): 64
• Belem, B., et al, 2007, Use of Non Wood Forest Products by local people bordering the “Parc National Kaboré Tambi”, Burkina Faso. The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies vol. 6, no. 1 p 9

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