''Ceiba'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s in the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familia ...

, native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...

areas of the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

(from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

to N

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

) and tropical

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali ...

. Some species can grow to tall or more, with a straight, largely branchless trunk that culminates in a huge, spreading canopy, and

buttress root Buttress roots also known as plank roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hen ...

s that can be taller than a grown person. The best-known, and most widely cultivated, species is Kapok, ''

Ceiba pentandra ''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety ''C. pentandr ...

'', one of several trees called kapok. ''Ceiba'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

(

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group compris ...

and

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

) species, including the leaf-miner '' Bucculatrix ceibae'', which feeds exclusively on the genus. Recent botanical opinion incorporates ''Chorisia'' within ''Ceiba'' and puts the genus as a whole within the family

.A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE GENUS CEIBA MILL.(2003)
/ref>

Culture and history

The tree plays an important part in the mythologies of

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. Wit ...

n cultures. In addition, several Amazonian tribes of eastern Peru believe deities live in Ceiba tree species throughout the jungle. The Ceiba, or ya’axché (in the Mopan Mayan language), symbolised to the

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () of the Mesoamerican people is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. Its Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is also noted for its art, ...

axis mundi In astronomy, axis mundi is the Latin term for the axis of Earth between the celestial poles. In a geocentric coordinate system, this is the axis of rotation of the celestial sphere. Consequently, in ancient Greco-Roman astronomy, the ' ...

which connects the planes of the Underworld ( Xibalba) and the sky with that of the terrestrial realm. This concept of a central world tree is often depicted as a Ceiba trunk. The unmistakable thick conical thorns in clusters on the trunk were reproduced by the southern lowland Maya of the Classical Period on cylindrical ceramic burial urns or incense holders. Ceiba - Bagh-e-Jinnah

Modern Maya still often respectfully leave the tree standing when harvesting forest timber. The Ceiba tree is represented by a cross and serves as an important architectural motif in the Temple of the Cross Complex at Palenque. Ceiba Tree Park is located in

San Antón San Antón is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, and Portugués Urbano, San Antón is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now ...

, in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

. Its centerpiece is the historic Ceiba de Ponce, a 500-year-old ''

'' tree associated with the founding of the city. In the surroundings of the legendary Ceiba de Ponce, broken pieces of indigenous pottery, shells, and stones were found to confirm the presence of Taino Indians long before the Spaniards that later settled in the area. In 1525,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Conquistador

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...

ordered the

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

emperor Cuauhtemoc from a ''Ceiba'' tree after overtaking his empire. The town of Chiapa de Corzo,

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil and Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 124 municipalities ...

was founded in 1528 by the Spanish around La Pochota, ''Ceiba pentandra'', according to tradition. Founded in 1838, the Puerto Rican town of Ceiba is also named after this tree. The Honduran city of

La Ceiba La Ceiba () is a municipality, the capital of the Honduran department of Atlántida and a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean, forming part of the south eastern bo ...

founded in 1877 was named after a particular ''Ceiba'' tree that grew down by the old docks. In 1898, the Spanish Army in Cuba surrendered to the United States under a ''Ceiba'', which was named the Santiago Surrender Tree, outside of

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

. ''Ceiba'' is also the national tree of

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

. The most important Ceiba in Guatemala is known as La Ceiba de Palín Escuintla which is over 400 years old. In

Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in th ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

there is a 100-year-old ceiba tree in front of the San Francisco Church known as La Ceiba de San Francisco and is an important element in the history of the city. The towering specimen near the town of Sabalito,

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, is a

relict A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon. Biology A relict (or relic) is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas. Geology and geomorphology In geology, a r ...

tree called "la ceiba" by residents and a survivor of one of the highest terrestrial rates of tropical deforestation. ''Ceiba pentandra'' produces a light and strong fiber ( kapok) used throughout history to fill mattresses, pillows, tapestries, and dolls. Kapok has recently been replaced in commercial use by synthetic fibers. The Ceiba tree seed is used to extract oils used to make soap and fertilizers. The Ceiba continues to be commercialized in Asia, especially in

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

, Indonesia and the Philippines. ''Ceiba pentandra'' is the central theme in the book titled, The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. '' Ceiba insignis'' and ''

Ceiba speciosa ''Ceiba speciosa'', the floss silk tree (formerly ''Chorisia speciosa''), is a species of deciduous tree that is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It has several local common names, such as ''palo borracho'' (in S ...

'' are added to some versions of the hallucinogenic drink

Ayahuasca AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' ( Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' desce ...

Pablo Antonio Cuadra Pablo Antonio Cuadra (November 4, 1912 – January 2, 2002) was a Nicaraguan essayist, art and literary critic, playwright, graphic artist and one of the most famous poets of Nicaragua. Early life and career Cuadra was born on November 4, 1912 in ...

, a Nicaraguan

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

, wrote a chapter about the Ceiba tree. He used it as a symbol of the Nicaraguan ancestral roots, a cradle for the nation, and source during the people's exile. Distribución_de_especies_de_Ceibas

Species

There are 20 accepted species:"''Ceiba'' Mill.". ''Plants of the World Online'', Kew Science. Accessed 26 August 2021

/ref> Ceiba speciosa 1

* '' Ceiba acuminata'' (S.Watson) Rose Mexico and Honduras * '' Ceiba aesculifolia'' (

Kunth Carl Sigismund Kunth (18 June 1788 – 22 March 1850), also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist. He is known for being one of the first to study and categorise plants from the American continents, ...

)

Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

& Baker f. Mexico to Costa Rica * '' Ceiba boliviana''

& Baker f. southern Peru to Bolivia * '' Ceiba chodatii'' ( Hassl.)

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the c ...

southeastern Bolivia to Paraguay and northern Argentina * '' Ceiba crispiflora'' (

) Ravenna Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states in southeastern Brazil * '' Ceiba erianthos'' ( Cav.) K. Schum. eastern Brazil * '' Ceiba glaziovii'' ( Kuntze) K. Schum. northeastern Brazil * '' Ceiba insignis'' (

) P. E. Gibbs & Semir southern Ecuador and northern Peru * '' Ceiba jasminodora'' ( A. St.-Hil.) K. Schum. Serra do Espinhaço in southeastern Brazil * '' Ceiba lupuna'' P. E. Gibbs & Semir northwestern Brazil and Peru * ''

'' ( L.) Gaertn. Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and northern south America * '' Ceiba pubiflora'' ( A. St.-Hil.) K. Schum. northeastern Brazil to Argentina's Misiones province * '' Ceiba rubriflora'' Carv.-Sobr. & L.P.Queiroz eastern Brazil * '' Ceiba salmonea'' (Ulbr.) Bakh. Peru * '' Ceiba samauma'' (

Mart. Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD f ...

) K. Schum. Amazonia to Paraguay * '' Ceiba schottii'' Britten & Baker f. southeastern Mexico and Guatemala * '' Ceiba soluta'' (Donn. Sm.) Ravenna Guatemala * ''

'' ( A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna Amazonia to Paraguay * '' Ceiba trischistandra'' ( A. Gray) Bakh. western Ecuador and northwestern Peru * '' Ceiba ventricosa'' (

Nees Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck (14 February 1776 – 16 March 1858) was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural philosopher. He was a contemporary of Goethe and was born within the lifetime of Linnaeus. He d ...

& Mart.) Ravenna eastern Brazil

Gallery

File:Ceiba Sapling 02.JPG, Ceiba tree at O Parks, WildLife, and Recreation,

El Ostional El Ostional is a coastal town on the Pacific Ocean, in the municipality of San Juan del Sur and Rivas department in south-west Nicaragua. It is located 170 kilometers (105 miles) south of Managua and 10.5 kilometers (6.5 miles) from the border w ...

, Nicaragua File:Ceiba Sapling 01.JPG, Ceiba tree at O Parks, WildLife, and Recreation,

, Nicaragua File:LaPochotaChiapa1.jpg, ''Ceiba pentandra'' found in the center plaza of Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas,

. File:Bombax LalBagh.JPG, ''Ceiba pentandra'' in

Lal Bagh Lalbagh Botanical Garden or simply Lalbagh (), is an botanical garden in Bangalore, India, with an over 200-year history. First planned and laid out during the dalavaiship of Hyder Ali and later managed under numerous British Superintendent ...

gardens in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India File:CeibaTreePeru02.jpg, Buttress roots of a ''Ceiba'' tree near the bank of the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

close to

Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world t ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. File:P5050265.02w.jpg, Flower of Palo Borracho, Cordoba, Argentina File:Flordepaineiraabelha.jpg, Flower of ''Ceiba speciosa'', Paineira rosa, São Paulo, Brazil File:Paineiraespinhuda.JPG, Trunk of ''Ceiba speciosa'' (Paineira rosa), São Paulo, Brazil File:Arvoepaineirabranca2.jpg, ''Ceiba graviozii'', (paineira branca), São Paulo, Brazil File:Brancaspaineiradetail.jpg, Paineira branca flower, São Paulo, Brazil File:Frutospaineira.jpg, Fruits, São Paulo, Brazil File:Frutospaina.jpg, Fruits, São Paulo, Brazil File:Cebia speciosa X C insignis open at 1006pm 14nov08.jpg, ''Ceiba speciosa'' × ''C. insignis'', a Huntington seedling flower, San Marino, California File:Ceiba-2.jpg, ''Ceiba speciosa'' in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

File:Ceiba-3.jpg, ''Ceiba speciosa'' in

File:美人樹 Ceiba speciosa 20201006185617.jpg, Ceiba speciosa, white flowers File:美人樹 Ceiba speciosa 20201105081642 01.jpg, Two-color Ceiba speciosa

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q284019 Malvaceae genera Natural history of Mesoamerica Taxa named by Philip Miller