Ceiba pentandra is a tropical
tree of the
order Malvales and the
family Malvaceae (previously separated in the family
Bombacaceae), native to
Mexico,
Central America and the
Caribbean, northern
South America, and (as the variety
C. pentandra var.
guineensis) to tropical west
Africa.
Kapok is the most used common name for the tree and may also refer to the cotton-like fluff obtained from its
seed pods. The tree is cultivated for the seed fibre, particularly in south-east Asia, and is also known as the
Java cotton,
Java kapok,
silk-cotton,
Samauma, or
ceiba.