Buttercup tree

Cochlospermum religiosum
Information sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlospermum_religiosum
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Buttercup%20Tree.
html
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/71054/
http://www.floracafe.com/Search_PhotoDetails.aspx?Photo=Top
&Id=3276&show=Medicinal
Photography Locations
Rashtrapati Nilayam
http://www.wellgrowhorti.com/page/landscapeplants/Trees/Tree
%20List%20C.htm
http://mybotanicalspace.blogspot.in/2009/06/cochlospermum-
religiosum-buttercup-tree.html

© Confederation of Indian Industry

 Buttercup tree
Cochlospermum religiosum
™ Native: India, Burma and

Thailand

™ Family: Bixaceae

™ Height: 7.5m

™ Leaf shape: Palmately

lobed

™ Deciduous & small tree

Flowers of the Buttercup tree are the ™ Ornamental

most conspicuous part of the tree
© Confederation of Indian Industry
 Buttercup tree
Cochlospermum religiosum
™ Other Common Name: Yellow slik

cotton tree, Golden silk cotton

tree

™ Hindi: Galgal

™ Tamil: Kattupparutti

™ Malayalam: Cempanni

™ Kannada: Arasina buruga

™ Telugu: Konda gogu

™ Bengali: Sonali simul

Synonyms: Bombax gossypium,
™ Marathi: Ganeri गणेरी Cochlospermum gossypium,
© Confederation of Indian Industry
Maximilianea gossypium
 Buttercup tree Cochlospermum (koh-kloh-SPERM-
Cochlospermum religiosum um)
religiosum (re-lij-ee-OH-sum)

Meaning of the botanical name

™ Cochlospermum because the seed resembles a snail

© Confederation of Indian Industry
™ Religiosum because the flowers are used as temple offerings
 Folklore

™ The flower is highlighted in

one of the telugu rhymes
which conveys that flowers
will be on the top of the
branches where moon only
can pluck the flowers by
climbing on a mountain

“Chandamama raave, jabilli

raave

Kondekki raave, GOGU poolu

theve” Buttercup tree
© Confederation of Indian Industry Cochlospermum
religiosum
Bark is smooth and pale grey, sparsely clothed with
leaves and sheds them at the height of the flowering
season

© Confederation of Indian Industry Buttercup tree

Cochlospermum religiosum
Leaves appear at the tips of the branches and are
palmately lobed

© Confederation of Indian Industry Buttercup tree

Cochlospermum religiosum
Flowers are large, growing up to about 10 cm, buttercup
shaped and bright yellow with orange stamens

Buttercup tree
Cochlospermum religiosum

Flowering season is between February and April,

© Confederation of Indian Industry
particularly after the leaves are shed
Fruits are brown and oval shaped. They come in the form
of a capsule made up of five segments

Buttercup tree © Confederation of Indian Industry

Cochlospermum religiosum
Capsule splits open to release the seeds which are
embedded in the silky cotton contained within
Buttercup tree
Cochlospermum religiosum

Silky cotton is said to induce sleep when stuffed into

© Confederation of Indian Industry
pillows
 Medicinal Uses

™ The gum

extracted from

bark is used in

the treatment of
Buttercup tree
¾ Cough Cochlospermum religiosum

¾ Sedative and

Cooling effect

© Confederation of Indian Industry

 Uses
™ Gum is used for
¾ Book binding
¾ Calico printing
¾ Cosmetic industry
¾ Cigar paste

™ Seed oil is used in

soap making
™ Seed cake is used
as Manure and
Buttercup tree
cattle feed © Confederation of Indian Industry Cochlospermum
religiosum
 Uses
™ Floss covering seed
is used for Stuffing
in
¾ Pillows

¾ Mattresses

¾ Cushions

¾ Life belts

™ Wood is used as
Buttercup tree
Fuel wood © Confederation of Indian Industry Cochlospermum
religiosum
 Thank you

© Confederation of Indian Industry Buttercup tree

Cochlospermum religiosum