Bombaceae. 143 
ing the seeds yields the so-called "Silk Cotton," a fibre which is, 
however, too short and soft to be spun and is therefore used like that 
of its congener, Ceiba pentandra, for stuffing pillows, mattresses, etc. 
this fibre is known as Si/nal, while that of Ceiba is known as Kapok, 
the latter fetches a much better price owing to its better quality and 
white color; it also does not become matted as is the case with S'unal 
fibre. 
The trunk yields a gum known in India as Mocha-ras, contain- 
ing a large proportion of tannic and gallic acids, both useful in 
medicine, as astringents. The wood of Bombax Ceiba is white, very 
soft and perishable, except under water, where it lasts rather well. 
In India the wood is used for planking, tea boxes, coffins, floats, and 
the lining of wells. 
In Honolulu there are very few trees of Bombax to be found; 
one very tall specimen occurring on the Board of Agriculture grounds 
on King Street. For some reason Bombax Ceiba does not fruit in 
Honolulu and rarely even flowers. The identification is therefore 
doubtful. 
Bombax ellipticum H.B.K. 
In the Queen's Hospital grounds there is a species of Bombax, 
with large handsome flowers which appear before the foliage. The 
flower buds are long and cigar-shaped and open with a quite audible 
noise, after the opening of the flowers the petals curl backward 
and expose a mass of pink stamens, which make the flowers exceed- 
ingly showy. It is a native of South America and is known botani- 
cally as Bombax ellipticum H. B. K. See Plate LVI. 
The leaves of this species have five distinctly petioled leaflets 
which are prominently nerved underneath. The main petiole is 
about ten inches or more long. The tree itself is not ornamental, as 
it is bare of foliage for a period and is only about fifteen feet in 
height with very few branches. 
Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. 
Silk Cottox Tree, Kapok. 
Plate LVI I. 
Ceiba pentandra differs from its relative Bombax Ceiba L. in 
its variable columnar trunk with large or often weakly defined but- 
tresses which are sometimes entirely wanting. It is a tall tree with 
a straight trunk and is prickly only when young, and branches hori- 
zontally at right angles to the trunk. The flowers are of a dirty 
white, and much smaller than those of Bombax Ceiba. The flowers 
