Eriodendron, commonly known as the silk-cotton tree, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. It consists of several species of large trees native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and West Africa. The name "Eriodendron" is derived from the Greek words "erion," meaning wool, and "dendron," meaning tree, referring to the woolly appearance of its seed pods.
These trees are renowned for their majestic size, reaching heights of up to 50 meters (164 feet) with a trunk diameter of 2 meters (6.5 feet). The crown of the tree is wide and spreading, often with a flat top. The bark is typically smooth and gray, featuring irregular vertical lines.
The leaves of Eriodendron are large, alternate, and palmately lobed, consisting of three to seven lobes that are usually triangular or ovate in shape. The leaf blades are deep green and glabrous, often measuring around 12-30 centimeters (4.7-11.8 inches) in length. These trees are deciduous, shedding their leaves during the dry season.
Eriodendron produces showy and fragrant flowers that appear in large clusters, typically blooming in the rainy season. The flowers are bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, featuring five separate petals that can be white, yellow, orange, or reddish in color. The fruits of this genus are distinctive, consisting of large woody capsules covered in densely matted, silky fibers that give them a cotton-like appearance.
The fibers surrounding the seeds were traditionally used for making pillows, cushions, and mattresses, hence the common name "silk-cotton tree." In addition, the wood of Eri
