This species has been frequently misidentified as Bombax buonopozense P.Beauv.[].

Common Name: Red-Flowered Silk Cotton Tree

General Information

Bombax costatum is a deciduous tree that usually grows 10 - 25 metres tall, though in the Sahel it hardly gets over 6 metres[, ]. The straight bole is spiny, especially when young, and is covered in a thick, corky bark[, ].
A true multipurpose tree, providing medicines, fibres, food, oil, timber and much more for the local population. The fibre from the seedpods was at one time exported. The tree is occasionally cultivated in west Africa for its edible calyx[].
This species has not been evaluated in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, but it is said to be disappearing from the Sahel and Guinean woodland areas of its range[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical west Africa - Senegal to central Africa, Guinea across Ghana and Nigeria to S. Chad.

Habitat

Savannahs, cleared forests and dry woodlands[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	40.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a humus-rich, loamy soil and a position in full sun[]. Grows well on stony soils[]. The tuberous roots act as water and/or sugar storage facilities during long drought periods[].
Trees have a thick, corky bark and are very resistant to fire[, , ].
Plants begin flowering and fruiting, according to site and conditions, from the sixth year on, but very irregularly[]. They usually flower in the dry season[].
Unfortunately many trees are unproductive of seedfloss owing to fire-damage at the critical time of flowering in the dry season[].
A mature tree bears up to 1,500 fruits each year with a total yield of 5 - 8 kg of kapok. Under favourable conditions, 3 - 5 kg kapok per tree can be obtained from the 10th year onwards[].
An important bee forage species[].

Edible Uses

The calyx of the flowers is dried, ground into a powder and used as an ingredient in ‘futo’ or sauces[, ].

The young fruit is dried and used for the preparation of meals[].
The unripe fruit is cut in pieces and used in the production of a beverage[].

The high protein content, low content of toxic substances and amount of polyunsaturated fats in the oil suggest that the oil from the seed is potentially suitable for human consumption[].

Medicinal

The bark of both the stem and the roots is diuretic and emmenagogue[, , ]. A decoction is used for the treatment of skin diseases, yellow fever, headaches, and 'to make a woman’s breasts fine'. When treating headaches, a compress is also tied on the head[, , ].

The leaves and immature fruit are an emollient[]. The leaves are haemostatic[]. They are used in the treatment of haemorrhages[]. The leaves are prescribed, with other plants, for the treatment of blennorrhoea and diarrhoea[].
A warm bath of the decoction is given to feverish patients, especially children[].

Various parts of the plant are used in the treatment of fevers or to promote lactation and as tonic for fatigue[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Being a fire resistant species the tree can serve well as a boundary mark[]. Stakes are sometimes planted in order to make a live fence[].
The leaf litter from the tree has been shown to enhance soil fertility[].
When growing wild, the tree is seen as an indicator plant of stony soils[].

Other Uses

Kapok fibre is obtained from the fruit. The fibres are mainly used as filling, especially for pillows[].
The fruit contains a large amount of white floss, known as Kapok fibre. It is used for stuffing mattresses, pillows, cushions, etc[, ].

The bark has tannins and yields a brown dye[].

The seeds have a high oil content of up to 19.8%[]. They are a possible oil source[].

Extracts from the plant exhibit molluscicidal activity[].

An extract of a culture of the leaf cells is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant[].

The wood is pale yellow to whitish with an orange lustre when newly felled, it soon turns grey when exposed to sunlight[]. There are no visible differences between the heartwood and the sapwood[]. The wood is very soft and weighs 350-450 kg/m³ when air-dried. It is moderately solid, easy to season and not liable to major warping or shrinkage. Untreated, the wood is soon attacked and destroyed by fungi and insects. Wood is easy to work, though tools need to be kept sharp to avoid a woolly surface; nails and screws can be used, but glueing is preferable in order to obtain stable joints. The wood is used particularly in sound insulation, for radio cabinets, drums, crates, kitchen utensils, match-stick manufacture etc. Traditionally, larger logs are used in constructing dug-out canoes[, ].

Propagation

Direct seeding is a preferred propagation mode, however wildlings may also be used[]. The seedlings are difficult to plant in spite of their vigorous rooting ability. Natural regeneration is easy and abundant when the plants are sufficiently protected against fire and livestock[].
Cuttings root easily[].

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