Ceibo pentrandra - Kekabu

Kekabu ( in Malay ) is Ceiba pentrandra, a tropical tree of the family Malavaceae ( previously a member of Bombacaceae.   Bombacaceae is not recognized by the APG I 1998, APG II 2003 and Kubitzki System 2003 as a family, instead as a subfamily Bombacoideae within Malavaceae sensu lato  ) , native to tropical America.   Another variety, Ceiba pentrandra var. guineensis, native to tropical west Africa.   It is mostly known as Kapok.

The tree grows up to 60 – 70 m tall.  The leaves are compound of 5 – 9 leaflets, each up to 20cm length.  The fruit is about 15cm in length, dehiscent.  The seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber that is a mix of lignin and cellulose.

USES

The fibre is light, buoyant, resilient and resistant to water.  It is difficult to spin thus is used as an alternative as filling in mattresses, pillow, stuffed toys, and for insulation.  

Seeds produced oil used in soap making.

CULTURE

The tree is the official national tree of Puerto Rico and Guatemala.

The Honduran city of La Ceiba, and Puerto Rican town of Ceiba were named after this tree.

It is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology

Durian 榴槤

There are about 30 known species of Durio. So far 9 species have been identified to produce edible fruits : D. zibethinus, D. dulcis, D. grandiflorus, D. graveolens, D. kutenensis, D. lowianus, D. macrantha, D. oxleyanus, D. testudinarum.

However, there are many species for which the fruit has never been collected or properly described and it is possible that other species with edible fruit exist.

Durio oxleyanus

Husk green. Spine slender & long. Flesh is yellow.

Durio kutejunsis
Husk yellow. Spine short. Flesh yellow, sticky, less sweet.

Durio zibethinus

Husk yellowish to green. Spine short. Flesh is white to yellow, sweet.

The name durian comes from the Malay word duri ( literally means thorn ), with a suffix -an for building a noun in Malay.

zibethinus refers to the Indian civet, Viverra zibetha.

There is disagreement regarding whether this name, refers to civets being so fond of the durian that the fruit was used as bait to entrap them, or to the durian smelling like the civet.