5024.000 Bombax L.

Trees, sometimes spiny. Leaves digitate with 5-7 leaflets. Flowers large (c. 5 cm or more long) solitary or in short cymes or clusters. Calyx truncate or shortly lobed. Petals 5. Stamens numerous. Ovary 5-locular with many ovules per loculus. Fruit dehiscent, a 5-lobed woody capsule, full of silky hairs containing the seeds.

Derivation of name: from the Greek bombyx, meaning silk, referring to the silky hairs surrounding the seeds.

Comment: There appears to be considerable uncertainty regarding the species delimitations in Bombax. While some sources have synonomized B. stolzii and B. mossambicense under B. rhodognaphalum or even have all three names under Rhodognaphalum schumannianum (See African Plants Database), other sources still maintain these as separate species and in Rhodognaphalon (See Plantlist). Until we have more confirmation we still regard Bombax rhodognaphalon as the accepted name and as the only taxon present in Malawi.

Worldwide: 20 species in the Old World tropics

Malawi: 1 taxon.