Barrigon Kapoktree -Firm protection-

Other names: Big bellied ceiba

Botanical name: Pseudobombax septenatum (Bombacaceae)



THE GENTLE GIANT

The name of this big and sympathetic tree, Barrigon, means “The Beer Belly” in English. Barrigon belongs to the Kapok tree family and is a close relative of Ceiba pentandra. Barrigon is a tall tree with a mostly unbranched trunk and it can grow up to 40 m (131 ft) tall. The beautiful trunk is swollen from the base and can reach 3 m (10 ft) in diameter. The tree can be recognized by its striking, vertical lines; bright green on a young tree and still visible on an old one. The branches of a fully grown tree are concentrated at the wide crown.

FLOWERS TO FEED THE ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AT NIGHT – FRUITS TO PROVIDE FOOD AND SOFT DREAMS FOR MAN

“The Beer Belly” blooms from December to March. The big, fragrant, white and tuft like flowers open up at night. Monkeys, sloths and other mammals of the forest feast on the flowers of the huge tree. The fruit pods ripen from February to the end of April. The pods are woody capsules up to 18 cm (7 inch) long with greenish brown lines. The seeds inside the fruit are eatable and have a nutty taste when roasted. The seeds are wrapped in a soft cotton-like fluffy material which is called kapok. Kapok is lighter than cotton and is resistant to saturation by water. These attributes make the kapok a wonderful natural material that can be used for stuffing pillows. The tree sheds its leaves during the dry season in order to prevent evaporation of water. The leaves are eaten by deer and small mammals.