Silk Cotton Tree

Scientific name of Silk Cotton Tree: Bombax ceiba / Salmalia malabarica

Name of Silk Cotton Tree in different languages:-

English: Semal, Kapok Tree

Sanskrit: Mocharasa, Shalmali or shaalmali

Hindi: शाल्मली-Shalmali, सेमल-Semal

Tamil: Sanmali, Sittan

Malayalam: ഇലവ് -Elavu, മുള്ളിലവ് -Mullilavu

Plant description:

Silk cotton tree is a deciduous, big tree mostly found in tropical areas, Western ghat areas, grow up to 60 m tall and up to 120 inches in diameter, bark is scaly, dark brown, full of covered with thorns. The leaves are large, glabrous, leaflets 3 to 7, entire, lanceolate, arranged oppositely and spirally at the branch apex, dark green, up to 15 cm long and 3 cm wide, stamen are pinkish brown, blossoming in January to March, trees bear gorgeous red-colored flowers. The fruits are green, the size of a ping-pong ball, in the maturity; it burst out cotton like fibrous stuff with small black seed. Wood is using to make plywood, sticks and match boxes. The leaves are food for larvae of some Lepidoptera.

Flowers of Silk Cotton Tree	Fruits of Silk Cotton Tree

Useful plant parts:

Root

Medicinal uses:

Used in the treatments of Seminal disorders, Blood purifier, Leucorrhoea, Excess bleeding in menstruation, Acne, skin blemish, skin pigmentation, scar marks due to boils, freckles, acne and burns, Wounds, Weakness, Increase breast milk, Cold and cough.

Chemical contents:

It is used as a tonic, other medicinal qualities are – anti-dysenteric, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial diuretic, alternative, astringent, anti-diarrhea, and anti-pyretic.

Silk Cotton Tree is used as an ingredient to prepare the Ayurveda medicines like:

Chandanasavam

Jirakadi Modak

Kutajavaleha

MadanaKameswari Lehyam

Raktastambhak Tablet

GrahanimihiraTaila

Himasagara Tailam

VyaghriTaila