SILK COTTON TREE
Family
- Malvaceae
Scientific
name - Bombax malabaricum or
Salmalia malabarica
COMMON
NAMES -
1) In
Maharashtra called Kate-savari, Savar, or Saur.
2) In
Hindi Simal or Shimbal.
3) In
Bengali Ragtasimal.
4) In
Tamil and Malayalam Illavu.
5) Salmali
in Sanskrit.
GROWING
AREAS :
1) The
silk cotton tree is believed to come from the area stretching from Malaysia to
North Australia, but it grows wild in most parts of India except in very hot,
cold or dry areas.
2) It
loves a damp sandy soil and grows well in coastal regions, especially in the
Konkan.
GENERAL
INFORMATION :
1) This
tree has a very long life, and there are silk cottons that are believed to be
as much as a thousand years old.
2) It is
a tall deciduous tree, very easy to pick out in a forest or jungle in the
spring when it is bare of.
3) Leaves
and covered with flowers.
4) It
has a straight thick upright trunk which is often wider at the bottom to support
the heavy branches above.
5) The
branches grow out horizontally, that is, sideways.
6) Most
trees have branches which curve upwards.
7) This
makes the Badam and Silk Cotton very easy to recognize.
8) The
bark is smooth silver grey and covered with hard sharp prickles.
9) As
the tree gets older the bark roughens and cracks.
Leaves, flowers, fruits and uses of the Silk Cotton Tree:
LEAVES
OF THE SILK COTTON TREE:
1) The
whole leaf is made up of up to seven small leaflets which are oval or
lance-shaped, and have a long leaf stalk which joins the smaller branches.
2) They
are dull green in colour and when they are on the tree from April or May until
the winter months they give a great deal of shade.
FLOWERS
OF THE SILK COTTON TREE:
1) From
January to March the flowers appear and they are easy to see on the leafless
tree.
2) The
flowers are usually bright red, but can also be pink or yellow or white.
3) They
have five large curved petals and contain a great many long stamens (male part
of flower containing pollen) which are grouped in bunches.
4) The
flower sits in a fleshy cup divided into three sections which feels silky and
is green in colour.
5) It is
called the calyx.
6) The
word calyx is the cup on which the flower sits and nearly all flowers have
them; although they are all different in shape, colour and size.
FRUIT
OF THE SILK COTTON TREE:
1) The
green seed-cases, which start to ripen in April are oval but soon thicken and
turn brown and hard when ripe.
2) They
split and the soft silky cotton inside is blown away by the wind.
3) This
cotton contains the oval black seeds, from which new trees develop and grow.
USES
OF THE SILK COTTON TREE:
1) There
are many stories in folklore about this tree, and one name given to it is
‘Parrot’s despair’, probably because the seed-cases look so delicious but only
contain cotton.
2) But
this cotton has many uses as it is ideal for filling cushions and quilts and is
even sent to other countries under the name ‘Simal’.
3) The
gum which is obtained from the trunk is called Mocha-ras and is used in
medicine and for book binding.
4) Many
other parts of the tree are used for medicines.
5) The
flowers with their green calyx are eaten as vegetables, and also loved by
animals, especially deer, who make a meal of the fallen petals.
6) When
the tree is in flower it is always covered with birds and insects who love the
nectar, especially drongos, mynahs and sunbirds.
7) The
holes in the trunks of old trees are used as nests by parakeets.
