Ceiba PENTANDRA (L.)Gaertn
| Synonym : | Bombaxpentadrum L. Bombax inerme L. Ceiba occidentalis (Spreng.) Burkill Eriodendron caribaeum G.Don Gossampinus alba Buch.-Ham. Xylon pentandrum (L.) Kuntze |
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| Bangla Name : | Shet Simul, Kapok, Sirmai Tula, Burma Simul (Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar). |
| English Name : | White silk cotton tree, Kapok, True Kapok tree. |
| Family : | Bombaceae |
| Disease : | Diuretic, astringent, febrifuge and emetic. |
| Description : | A medium-sized, deciduous tree, branches horizontal, in whorls of three. Leaves long petioled, leaflets 5-8, lanceolate, 5-12.5 cm long. Flowers 3.8-5 cm diam., dirty white, appears at the ends of the branches in clusters of 2-8. Capsules fusiform, 15-20 cm long. |
| Distribution : | Planted mainly in Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong, sporadically elsewhere. |
| Chemical Constituents : | The plant yields a gum, which contains phenolic substances. It also contains linarin (acacetin 7-rutinoside) and water-soluble antigen. Seeds contain a fixed oil rich in palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids (Ghani, 2003). |
| Uses : | The bark is diuretic, astringent, febrifuge and emetic. The gum is astringent and is given as a remedy for bowel complaints. The root is diuretic, tonic, alterative and laxative, juice is prescribed for diabetes. Young leaves are used as emollient. Decoct |
| Habit : | Tree. |