Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

Kapok or kapok tandu or Java cotton or silk-cotton or kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae, fruit that creates an atmosphere on the streets resembling snowfall with scattered fibers, grows under an elevation of 500 meters and rainfall of 1500-2500 mm/year.

C. pentandra has a height of 60-70 meters, trunk diameter of 3 meters, tree bark is brownish green, roots spread horizontally on the soil surface. Stems towering singly or branched and often found with thorns.

Fruit is a source of fiber for mattresses, pillows, clothing, heat insulation and sound insulation. The dried skin of the fruit can be used for fuel. The seeds contain oil which is used for lubricants, lamp oil and energy raw materials.

Cultivated plants generally only grow to 10-30 meters. Trees bear fruit for the first time in 4-5 years and the economic age is up to 60 years.

Leaves, flowers and young fruit are edible. Plants are known to have biomedical potential that has not been widely studied along with other physiochemical properties. The leaves are commonly used to treat diarrhea, skin disorders, sedatives and pain relievers. Tops of branches to treat asthma.

The leaves produce organic compounds including phenolics 174 mg/g, alkaloids 4.54 mg/g, flavonoids 26 mg/g, tannins 0.48 mg/g, saponins 1.55 mg/g, phytic acid 0.15 mg/g, TUI (trypsin inhibitor) 14.54 mg/g, HUI (hemagglutinin inhibitor) 9.65 mg/g, oxalic acid 0.1 mg/g, palmitic acid and linoleic acid.

Fiber can be used as a hydrophobic-oleophilic absorbent material for cleaning up oil spills. The raw fiber is compacted to form packs with a density of 0.02g/cm3 to absorb 36, 43, and 45 gram/pack of diesel, hydraulic lubricant (AWS46) and engine lubricant (HD40) compounds.

This absorbance performance was significantly better than polypropylene compounds which were only able to absorb 8-10 grams/gram for the three compounds. This potential is the basis for increasing cotton production and triggering the recycling of production waste.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Bombacoideae
Genus: Ceiba
Species: Ceiba pentandra

Sea almond (Terminalia catappa)

Ketapang or tropical almond or beach almond or talisay tree or umbrella tree or sea almond ( Terminalia catappa ) is a species of plant in the Combretaceae, a shady tree, fast growing, forming a multilevel canopy, often used as a shade tree in gardens and on roadsides. T. catappa grows large, up to 40 meters in height and up to 1.5 meters in trunk, shady canopy with branches that grow flat and terraced, young trees often look like pagodas while old and large trees often have aerial roots up to 3 meters. The leaves are scattered, mostly at the end of the twig, rounded egg upside down, 8-38 cm long, 5-19 cm wide, the tip is wide, the base is narrow, the upper surface is smooth, green but turns red if to fall out and short stalks. The flowers are small, collected near the tips of the twigs, 8-25 cm long and green-yellow in color. The flowers are not crowned, the petals have five taju, are plate or bell shaped, 4-8 mm long and are white or cream in color. Stamens in two circles and arra...

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)

Teki or purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus ) is a species of plant in the Cyperaceae, an erect annual growing to a height of up to 140 cm, the leaves sprout in rows of three from the base to a length of 5-20 cm, ribbon-shaped, pointed tip and green in color. The inflorescence has a stalk with a triangular cross section and is green. The inflorescence has three to eight unequal spikes. The flower is bisexual, has 3 stamina and the pistil has three stigmas. The fruit is achene and triangular. Teki prefers dry places, but will tolerate moist soil and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields. Tubers are an important source of nutrition for migratory cranes. Source of carbohydrates in the tropics in times of famine. The initial stage forms a white fleshy rhizome, 25 mm long and in chains. Some of the rhizomes grow upright above the ground, then form a tuber-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, new roots and new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or down...

Asian foxtail (Uraria crinita)

Asian foxtail or cat's tail bean ( Uraria crinita ) is a species of plant in Fabaceae, a perennial, upright shrub with woody stems at least at the base, up to 2 meters high in forests, agricultural land, waterways, used as a medicinal herb, green manure and sometimes planted in the garden as an ornamental plant. U. crinita has elongated leaves, rounded base, pointed tip, a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, rough surface, dark green with white spots. Petiole short or less than 0.5 cm and brownish red. Compound flower in spike shape, purple and white triangular crown. Long flower stalk, erect, 15-20 cm long and only at the end of the flower. The crown slowly falls off and leaves behind a stalk that is shaped like coir or light yellow pads. Asian foxtail grows in dry grasslands, open forests, trash cans, roadsides, sandy areas and sometimes in deciduous forests, elevations of 0-1500 meters and does not grow in waterlogged places. The different parts are often used in t...

Dlium