Ceiba chodatii
(Hassl.) Ravenna
Floss silk tree
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Summary
Source: WikipediaCeiba chodatii, the floss silk tree, is a species of deciduous tree native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It has a bottle-shaped swollen trunk in which water is stored for the dry season and is known locally as palo borracho.
Description
A tree that loses its leaves. It grows about 12 m tall. The trunk is bottle shaped and swollen. There are thick branches at the top of the swollen trunk. The crown is round. The bark is smooth and there are ridges upwards and wrinkles across. It has cone shaped spines. The leaves are alternate and shaped like fingers on a hand. They have 5 lobes and teeth along the edge. The flowers are large and occur singly. They are creamy white with a few purple specks. They are 15 cm long. The fruit is a large capsule that is oblong and green. It splits open to reveal black seeds in white fibres. The trunk stores water.
Edible Uses
The tender leaf buds are eaten as a vegetable, the seeds are consumed, and the inner part of the unripe fruit is eaten.
Traditional Uses
The tender leaf buds are eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are eaten. The inner part of the unripe fruit is eaten.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in seasonally dry woodlands. In Argentina it grows between 400-1,200 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, South America,
Notes
Also put in the family Bombacaceae. In the subfamily Bombacoideae.
Also Known As
Semlhak
References (2)
- Arenas, P. and Scarpa, G. F., 2006, Edible wild plants of the Chorote Indians, Gran Chaco, Argentina. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Vol. 153 (1): pp 73-85
- Scarpa, G. F., 2009, Wild food plants used by the indigenous peoples of South American Gran Chaco: A general synopsis and intercultural comparison. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality 83:90-101
