silk cotton tree

The kapok is deciduous, dropping its foliage after seasonal rainy periods. Flowering occurs when the tree is leafless, thereby improving access for the bats that feed on the sugar-laden nectar of kapok blossoms. In doing so, the bats unwittingly pollinate the tree’s flowers. The flowers open…

For example, the kapok tree, found in tropical forests throughout the world, is an emergent—a tree whose crown rises well above the canopy. The kapok’s towering height enables it to gain access to winds above the canopy. The tiny seeds of the kapok are attached to fine fibres…

… (Hevea brasiliensis), silk-cotton trees (Ceiba pentandra), Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa), sapucaia trees (Lecythis), and sucupira trees (Bowdichia). Below the canopy are two or three levels of shade-tolerant trees, including certain species of palms—of the genera Mauritia,

The kapok (Ceiba pentandra) reaches a height of more than 150 feet (45 meters). The Central Suriname Nature Reserve, covering nearly 3,950,000 acres (1,600,000 hectares), was established in June 1998 in west-central Suriname. It is one of the largest protected areas of rainforest in the world…

…in the tops of tall kapok trees, usually building their nest 27–43 meters (about 89–140 feet) above the ground in trees with widely spaced branches, as this allows a clear flight path to and from the nest. Harpy eagles use large sticks to build the nest frame, which is about…

…example, the seeds of the kapok fruit (Ceiba pentandra; Malvaceae) yield a water-repellent fiber used in sound and thermal insulation and an edible oil used in cooking, lubricants, and soap; the oil cake is rich in protein and is fed to livestock; and the soft, light wood is used to…