Pseudobombax ellipticum

Pseudobombax ellipticum, with common names including shaving brush tree and amapolla tree, is a species of plant in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae.

Pseudobombax ellipticum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Pseudobombax
Species:
P. ellipticum
Binomial name
Pseudobombax ellipticum

Distribution

The tree is native to southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.and Cuba

Description

Pseudobombax elipticum is a tree that can reach 18 m (60 ft) in height and 1.3 m (4 ft) d.b.h. Its branches are close to the base of the stem. It is a deciduous tree with succulent stems.

The flowers are fragrant.

Uses

Uses include firewood and wood for carving handicrafts.

The attractive flowers are used to decorate homes and churches in Central America.[1] In Central America, a highly intoxicating drink is made from the tree.[2]

Cultivation

The tree is grown as an ornamental tree in Florida, Hawaii, and coastal Southern California.

  • Pseudobombax ellipticum
  • Trunk
  • Leaves
  • Tree and blossom

References
  1. Pseudobombax ellipticum (Kunth) Dugand
  2. Maya, Divine Kings of the Rain Forest (ed. Nikolai Grube), Köln (Cologne) 2001, pp. 430-ff. ISBN 9783829041508


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