Northern-cottonwood
StarBombax ceiba
Synonyms: Bombax heptaphyllum, Bombax ceiba var. leiocarpum, Pachira quinata, Gossampinus thorelii, Pochota quinata, Gossampinus malabarica, Bombacopsis quinata, Gossampinus rubra, Salmalia malabarica, Bombax thorelii, Melaleuca grandiflora, Bombax quinatum, Bombax tussacii, Bombax malabaricum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Ayurvedic and broader South Asian medicine Bombax ceiba (semal) is a long-established remedy. The dried gum or exudate, known as mochras or semul-gum, is used as an astringent in diarrhoea, dysentery and menorrhagia, while the fleshy adventitious root tubers of young plants (semul-musli) are valued as a nutritive, demulcent restorative and tonic (Kirtikar & Basu, 1918; Warrier et al., 1994). The prickly bark and the flowers are likewise employed for dysentery, diarrhoea and skin complaints, and the young calyces and flowers are eaten and used in folk preparations across India and southern China (kapok flower) for digestive and "cooling" complaints (Warrier et al., 1994).
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Botanical Description
Bombax ceiba (red silk-cotton tree, semal; syn. Salmalia malabarica) is a large deciduous tree of the Malvaceae reaching 20-40 m, with a buttressed trunk and branches and young bark armed with stout conical prickles. The palmately compound leaves have 5-7 lanceolate leaflets and drop before flowering, when showy cup-shaped red (rarely orange) flowers with five fleshy petals appear on bare branches. The woody capsules split to release numerous seeds embedded in white silky kapok-like floss. It is native to and widely planted across tropical Asia, southern China and northern Australia.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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