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

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

Purhepecha oak (Quercus purhepecha), new species of shrub oak endemic to the state of Michoacán, Mexico

NEWS - In Mexico, several Quercus shrubby species are taxonomically very problematic including 8 taxa with similar characteristics. Now researchers report the purhepecha oak ( Quercus purhepecha De Luna-Bonilla, S. Valencia & Coombes sp. nov.) as a new tomentose shrubby white oak species with a distribution only in the Cuitzeo basin in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). Quercus Linnaeus (1753) subdivided into 2 subgenera and 8 sections of which section Quercus (white oaks) has the widest distribution in the Americas, Asia and Europe. This section is very diverse in Mexico and Central America with phylogenomic evidence indicating recent and accelerated speciation in these regions. The number of shrubby oak species in Mexico is still uncertain. De Luna-Bonilla of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and colleagues found at least 3 taxa in the TMVB, specifically Quercus frutex Trelease (1924), Quercus microphylla Née (1801) and Quercus repanda Bonpland (1809). In 2016,...

Cempaki (Termitomyces microcarpus)

Cempaki ( Termitomyces microcarpus ) is a species of fungus in the Lyophyllaceae family. It grows wild in tropical Asian forests near termite nests. It is rarely reported in urban areas. It is edible and known for its deliciousness, high nutritional value, and difficulty in cultivating. In Indonesia, it is used as an alternative food ingredient. T. microcarpus is the smallest of the Termitomyces species, umbrella-shaped, plain white, measuring 5 cm tall and 2.5 cm wide. It grows in dense clusters on surfaces and forms a mutualistic relationship, requiring the metabolic activity of termites as a substrate for growth. This species is known for its deliciousness, rich in nutrients, and has potential bioactive properties, such as helping lower cholesterol and acting as a tonic. Currently, it is difficult to cultivate on a large scale, and people rely solely on wild harvests. This mushroom is highly favored for its savory, delicious flavor and soft, chewy texture. It is often stir-fried ...