kapok (kāˈpŏk, kăpˈək), name for a tropical tree of the family Bombacaceae (bombax family) and for the fiber (floss) obtained from the seeds in the ripened pods. The floss has been important in commerce since the 1890s; the chief source is Ceiba pentandra, the kapok (...
Kapok tree is cultivated widely in Southeast Asia for its seed fiber. Usually it is fast growing attaining the height of 70 meters with trunk diameter 3 meters. The trunk is buttressed with large simple thorns. Crown is thin and pagoda shaped. Leaves are palmate having 5-9 leaflets ...