Red/Yellow silk cotton tree @ Yeoor

[Rajesh Sachdev]

During the butterfly festival, i came across both the silk cotton
trees Red/Yellow, these both trees were very next to each other.

[Neil Soares]

Hi Rajesh,    They are both Bombax insigne. The Yellow Silk Cotton Tree [Cochlospermum reliogosum] is not native to this area [and is therefore not found here in the wild unless planted].                 Regards,                   Neil Soares. --- On Wed, 2/18/09, Rajesh Sachdev <leopa...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Rajesh Sachdev]

Thanks dr. Niel, but why is there diff in colouration. If not YSCT
then which specie is it?

--
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Regards
Rajesh Sachdev
Wildlife Activist & Photographer
Mumbai, India.
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/wild_mumbai/
www.rajesh-sachdev.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leoparguy/

[Neil Soares]

Hi Rajesh,   Bombax ceiba is the Red Silk Cotton Tree. A similar fast growing species B. insigne [found mainly in South India] differs from the above in having a trunk that is usually unarmed, flowers that have larger petals and many more stamens [approx. 400 as opposed to B.ceiba which have only about 75].  Sending you a photograph of the Yellow Silk Cotton Tree [Cochlospermum religiosum] for comparison.

[oikos for ecological services]

These trees create a lot of confusion.

Cochlospermum religiosum - Ganer - has yellow flowers but flowers are very different from that of red silk cotton tree. Does it produce silk cotton ? so that it can qualify as Yellow silk cotton tree.

Bombax insigne - Dew sawar - is found in Ghats too. Have seen it growing & flowering at very particular locations on western sides of Ghat roads joining Desh & Kokan in a narrow 'altitude belt'  (like Bor ghat, Kumbharli ghat, Tamhini Ghat, Varandha ghat, Poladpur) This has large flowers, long petals & long, many stamens. Various colours seen are yellow, pink, bright red, dull red, whitish.

Dew sawar flowers in Dec - Jan while Kate sawar flowers after Feb - generally.

Bombax ceiba - Kate sawar - Red silk cotton tree - is most common. Huge trees with red flowers, spiny barks & branches. Their pods have the famous silk cotton. We have seen & photographed unusual yellow variety of Bombax ceiba. Two - three trees were seen with shades ranging from yellow to pink. But one tree had all yellow flowers.

 

one more variety - Ceiba pentandra - popularly known & sold as Sawar - found planted in cities with green, smooth bark & white flowers, hanging green pods. This is not native to Maharashtra but always confused with Kate sawar.

 

Pl add if more known about these beauties.

---

[Neil Soares]

Hi Ketaki / Manasi,    Think you have forgotten to mention the Mexican Silk Cotton Tree, also called the Floss Silk Tree [Chorisia speciosa]. The tree is common along the eastern coast of our country in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. It is an fast-growing,ornamental deciduous tree with a greenish bottle-shaped trunk studded with large spines and bears yellowish flowers. C.insignis [White Floss Silk Tree] is also a large tree bearing numerous beautiful flowers at first yellow, later fading to white.                      Regards,                        Neil Soares. --- On Wed, 2/18/09, oikos for ecological services <oi...@oikos.in> wrote:

[Barry Stock]

Hi Neal, et. al.,

Chorisia speciosa most usually has intensely pink flowers and a yellow throat, although the species is highly variable and there are many cultivars. It is referred to colloquially in the west as the "Pink Silk Floss Tree".

Two different cultivars:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2518307710035088639BYVwXL

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1096721983035088639GKfGyZ

Chorisia insignis has white flowers, and is much less common in cultivation:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2391962010035088639DAQKAa

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2776825710035088639aHyrDo

Best,

Barry Stock

Hollywood, Florida, USA

[Anand Kumar Bhatt]

Neil, chorisia speciosa (pink variety) has been taken up by Horticulture dept of Delhi on a large scale. so many roundabouts in Delhi are full of these trees laden with flowers in Oct. I thought that it was only a few decades back brought from South America. If it is native, I stand corrected.

akbhatt

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Tele: 0751-247 2233. Mobile 0 94253 09780.
My blogsite is at:
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And the photo site:
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[Anand Kumar Bhatt]

'Flowering Trees of Bangalore' has some lovely photographs of both. I am attaching it.

akbhatt