Cochlospermum religiosum

Cochlospermum religiosum is a flowering plant from the tropical region of Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a small tree growing to a height of 7.5 m (25 ft) usually found in dry deciduous forests. The name religiosum derives from the fact that the flowers are used as temple offerings. It is also known as silk-cotton tree because the capsules containing the seeds have a fluffy cotton-like substance similar to kapok.[1] Another common name is buttercup tree because its yellow and bright flowers look like large-sized buttercups.[2]

Cochlospermum religiosum
Cochlospermum religiosum blossoms
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Bixaceae
Genus: Cochlospermum
Species:
C. religiosum
Binomial name
Cochlospermum religiosum
(L.) Alston

In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have used as the tree for achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi by nineteenth Lord Buddha called "Siddhaththa - සිද්ධත්ථ". The plant is known as කිණිහිරියා (Kinihiriyaa) in Sinhala, and කණිකාර (Kanikaara) in Sanskrit..

  • Trunk in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
  • Flowers
  • Detail of the flowers
  • Flowering tree
  • Flowering canopy
  • Detail of a flower
  • Fruit and Flower
  • Flower
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References
  1. USDA Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston
  2. Flowers of India - Buttercup tree

Media related to Cochlospermum religiosum at Wikimedia Commons


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