It's chilly in Acadiana right now, so stay a little longer in Key West. Stroll down Truman Avenue to White Street, and behold trees that look as though they're being supported with flying buttresses. They're really extensions of my trunk and can reach out up to 30 feet. Which is a good thing, because I can grow to 150 to 200 feet tall.
I'm a native of South America and am drought deciduous, dropping my leaves in the dry winters in the northern hemisphere. My flowers usually appear before my leaves return, and are clustered on small, new branches. To humans, they have an unpleasant odor, but bats are attracted to them. They carry pollen from flower to flower on their fur. Then my pods appear, as many as 4000, they contain 200 seeds each in a cotton like fiber. These pods burst, casting seeds in the wind to colonize open areas. Because my pods float, they may have been carried to West Africa by the ocean. I'm now also found in Malaysia and Indonesia.
My white, fluffy seed covering is also buoyant and water-resistant, leading to its use in flotation devices such as the famous Mae West lifesaver of World War II fame. Soap is made from the oil in my seeds, which is also used in medicine. My leaves may be boiled and eaten. Dugout canoes and coffins are made from my lightweight wood. Because of the length of my trunks, it's straight grain, and its beautiful colors, my lumber is very desirable. I hope these characteristics don't lead to my extinction.
Do you know what plant I am?
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I'm a native of South America and am drought deciduous, dropping my leaves in the dry winters in the northern hemisphere. My flowers usually appear before my leaves return, and are clustered on small, new branches. To humans, they have an unpleasant odor, but bats are attracted to them. They carry pollen from flower to flower on their fur. Then my pods appear, as many as 4000, they contain 200 seeds each in a cotton like fiber. These pods burst, casting seeds in the wind to colonize open areas. Because my pods float, they may have been carried to West Africa by the ocean. I'm now also found in Malaysia and Indonesia.
My white, fluffy seed covering is also buoyant and water-resistant, leading to its use in flotation devices such as the famous Mae West lifesaver of World War II fame. Soap is made from the oil in my seeds, which is also used in medicine. My leaves may be boiled and eaten. Dugout canoes and coffins are made from my lightweight wood. Because of the length of my trunks, it's straight grain, and its beautiful colors, my lumber is very desirable. I hope these characteristics don't lead to my extinction.
Do you know what plant I am?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ANSWER:
Ceiba pentandra: Kapok Tree
Ceiba pentandra: Kapok Tree
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