Skip to main content

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.

Dlium Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)


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

Popular Posts

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....

Red lip (Syzygium myrtifolium)

Pucuk merah or daun pucuk merah or red lip ( Syzygium myrtifolium ) is a plant species in the Myrtaceae, a medium tree with a cylindrical trunk and produces cambium, up to 5 meters high, bark rough and light brown, many branches and strong roots. S. myrtifolium has oval-shaped leaves, pointed tip and base, up to 7 cm long, up to 2 cm wide, a vein in the middle, flat margins, shiny surface, bright red leaf buds and will turn green over time. The flowers are compound and arranged in panicles. The flowers bloom with a stigma in the center and are white. The fruit is round and up to 1 cm in diameter, the middle of the upper surface has a depression and is shiny black when ripe. This species grows in forests, agricultural land, roadsides and abandoned lands. This tree has a root structure that goes deep into the ground and is sturdy so it is often used to rehabilitate land, prevent landslides and store water reserves. This tree has a greater ability to absorb CO2 than other types of pla...

Breng (Coldenia breng)

Breng ( Coldenia breng ) is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is a herbaceous plant that grows along the ground, with radial, cylindrical stems, red, multi-branched, alternate, and white-haired. C. breng has alternate leaves along the stem, oval to nearly round, up to 2.5 cm long, up to 1.5 cm wide, and white-haired. This plant grows in floodplains, seasonally inundated riverbanks, and drying rice fields. It thrives in sandy or silty soils and is drought-tolerant. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Boraginales Family: Boraginaceae Subfamily: Cordioideae Genus: Coldenia L. in Sp. Pl.: 125 (1753) Species: Coldenia breng Aryo Bandoro Dlium TheDlium YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium