Bombax ceiba

Bombax ceiba, 木棉 mu mian are trees that reach around 25 m in height. They are tall with buttressed trunks and usually very spiny on young trees. The bark is tray-white and the branches are spreading. The leaves are large and oblong but narrow. The flowers appear in March and April and are solitary, petals usually red, sometimes orange-red. Seeds are produced in a good quantity in the summer. The tree grows in hot dry river valleys and savanna and can be found in Guangdong and the local area. Bombax ceiba was formerly cultivated for its seed floss (kapok) and for more details visit Flora in China.