Panji ilavu (Ceiba pentandra)

Panji ilavu is the kapok or white silk-cotton tree, a huge buttressed tree whose pods burst open to release fluffy, waterproof fibre once used to stuff pillows, mattresses and life jackets. It is native to tropical America and West Africa and is planted across India. The Maya held it sacred as a world tree. The red silk-cotton, Bombax ceiba, is a different tree with red flowers.

Botanical name: Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.
Family: Malvaceae
Tamil: Panji ilavu
Hindi: Safed semal
Parts used: Seed-hair fibre, Seeds
Habit: Kapok tree; Tamil ilavu also names red silk-cotton
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Panji ilavu

It is a tall deciduous tree, often thirty metres or more, with large buttress roots and branches in horizontal tiers.

Young trunks are covered in stout conical thorns, which wear off with age.

The leaves are palmate, with five to nine narrow leaflets.

Whitish to pale pink flowers open at night on bare branches.

The pods are long, woody and oblong, splitting to release seeds wrapped in silky white fibre.

Traditional use of Panji ilavu

Household

Kapok fibre is stuffed into pillows, mattresses and cushions across India.

Indian household practice

Ritual

The Maya planted ceiba trees in village plazas and saw them as linking the underworld, earth and sky.

Maya tradition

Household

The seed oil has been used for soap and lamps.

Tropical household practice

Modern notes on Panji ilavu

Kapok fibres are hollow and coated in wax, which makes them light, buoyant and water-repellent.

Kapok filled life jackets in the Second World War before synthetic foams replaced it.

It is now studied as a natural fibre for oil spill clean-up because it soaks up oil but not water.

Panji ilavu safety

Kapok dust can trigger allergies and asthma in some people. The fibre is very flammable.

Ecology and sourcing

Bats pollinate the night flowers.

Its tiers of branches carry many epiphytes in rainforests.

Wind carries the fibre-wrapped seeds far from the tree.

Related plants

Also in Malvaceae

Questions about Panji ilavu

Is kapok the same as red silk-cotton?

No. Red silk-cotton is Bombax ceiba.

Why does kapok float?

Its fibres are hollow and waxy.

Who pollinates Panji ilavu?

Bats.

Is kapok cotton?

No. It is a seed fibre from a different family.

Why does the trunk have thorns?

Young trees grow thorns that wear away with age.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.