floss silk tree (ceiba speciosa) in bloom : (pix sanjiv shukla)

ceiba speciosa floss silk tree chorisia family malvaceae mallows forest flowering plant baobab kapok natural habitat resistant drought grows trunk bottle-shaped bulging girth bloom color white yellow prickle green thick sharp conical flower creamy-whitish pink petal hibiscus south america chlorophyll photosynthesis leaf gray branch nectar insect pollinator hummingbird cotton capsule wood canoe pulp paper bark rope vegetable oil edible industrial cultivated ornamental garden urban tropical subtropical deciduous