Red Silk Cotton Tree
Red Silk Cotton Tree
Scientific name: Bombax ceiba L.
Bangla/Local name: ‘Simul’, ‘Tula Gachh’
Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1981)
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Malvales |
| Family | Bombacaceae |
| Genus | Bombax |
| Species | B. ceiba |
Botanical Description
Habit: Large sized, fast growing tree
Root: Tap root system
Stem: Large sized tree up to 30 m tall
Leaves: Digitately compound, long petiole
Inflorescence: Flowers solitary on the defoliate branch
Flower: Hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, complete
Calyx: Cup-shaped, 4-5 lobed
Corolla: Petal 5, red in color
Androecium: Stamen numerous
Gynoecium: Ovary ovoid, glabrous
Fruit: An oblong capsule
Seeds: Seed many, embedded with cotton
Economic Importance: Silk cotton is widely used for stuffing mattresses and pillows. The wood is soft which is used for packing boxes, match boxes. The bark and roots are used as medicine.
In Bangladesh where Shimul tula (Bombax ceiba ) seed is available and what is about its import statistics?