THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



Young "Kapok" Plant. 



"KAPOK" 



The plant, although a native of Tropical America, is better known as a commercial tree of 

 Java. It is the Bombax Pentandrum or Eriodendron Anfractuosum of the botanical family 

 Bombacaciae: (The specimen plant shown in foregoing cut has reached a growth of eighteen 

 months). The plant and particularly its product is known to commerce as "Kapok," but in 

 Cuba the tree is known and called the "Silk Cotton Tree" and its product "Cotton Wool," and 

 is used more generally in upholstery work for filling seats and cushions, and for uhis purpose it 

 is considered a most important material- — -the fiber is the floss or seed hair and is not attached 

 to the seed, as in the case of cotton and as is usual in silk cotton specimens it has no twist, and 

 for this reason cannot be spun into thread. Oil is produced from the seeds or this plant for use 

 as food and for the manufacture of soap— statistics show that from 30 to 35 per cent of oil can 

 be extracted from the seeds, and in addition it is given an iodine value of 116. 



As above stated the tree is a native of Tropical America and is to-day grown in many 

 tropical countries; credit is due the natives of HoUand for its introduction into and cultivation 

 in Java and for establishing a market for the use of the silk cotton in Europe, and at this time 

 the most extensive plantations are found in Java from which fields the Dutch merchants draw 

 their supply for consumption in the Eiuropean markets. The fiber is soft and silky and main- 

 tains its elasticity in use and does not become matted or compressed as other fibers used for the 

 same purposes. 



The tree thrives well in any soil, and in Java it is usually grown along the highways as a 

 shade tree and used as a support for telegraph and telephone wires; it grows straight with hori- 

 zontal branches and is very attrajtive with its very large leaves. It is also used in pepper plan- 

 tations as a support for the pepper vines. The tree requires about six years to acquire ics lUU 

 growth and produce its seed and fiber capsules; the capsule contains a large number of very 

 small seeds. While the fiber itself is not very resistent it is combined with silk and wool in 

 manufacture in Germany; the fiber is of a very light weight and will not absorb water, and for 

 this reason it is valuable and is used extensively for filling life preservers. 



The Kapok of Java is sometimes confused with that of India, and the resemblance is noted 

 in certain respects, but there is a marked difference and the India tree is known as the Bombay 



