Ceiba speciosa
Other common names
Spanish: Palo borracho
Origin of the species name
Ceiba is derived from the indigenous name for giant tree; speciosa is from Latin for beautiful or showy
Family
Malvaceae
Date planted
December 2011
Lifespan
Trees of this species are long lived.
General description
This is a deciduous tree with a bright-green bottle-shaped trunk, studded with thick conical thorns, that turns grey with age. The branches tend to be horizontal and are also covered with thorns. The leaves are compound with five to seven long leaflets. The flowers are creamy-whitish in the centre and pink towards the tips of their petals. The fruit pods contain bean-sized black seeds surrounded by a mass of fluff. Height 25m Spread 15m.
Natural distribution and habitat
The species is native to Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil where it occurs in tropical and subtropical forests.
Conservation status
It is not considered to be a threatened species.
Planting pattern
Forest 58 is a steep site and is planted in lines following the contours.
Uses
The cotton inside the fruit pods is soft and flexible, and is sometimes used in packaging, as wood pulp to make paper, and in ropes. From the seeds it is possible to obtain vegetable oil (both edible and industrially useful).