Bombacaceae

Read about Bombacaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Bombacaceae (from the genus Bombax, from the Latin meaning silk or cotton). Bombax Family. Fig. 37. Trees: leaves mostly alternate, entire or digitate, often with slime-cells and stellate hairs: flowers bisexual, regular or slightly irregular; involucre often present; sepals 5, separate or connate, valvate; petals 5, twisted in the bud; stamens 5 to many, separate or monadelphous; anther cells 1-2 or more; pollen smooth; staminodia often present; ovary superior, 2-5-celled; ovules 2 to many; style 1; stigmas 1-5: fruit dry or fleshy, dehiscent or indehiscent. There are 20 genera and about 100 species, of tropical distribution, mostly in America. The family is closely related to the Malvaceae and often united with that family. It is distinguished most easily by the smooth pollen and the often several-celled anthers. Many Bombacaceae are very large trees. The trunk of the baobab tree, or monkey's bread tree (Adansonia digitata) of tropical Africa is often 100 feet in circumference. The wool produced in the fruit is of little value. The fruit of Durio zibethinus contains a cream-like substance and is eaten. The seeds of the green fruit of Matisia cordata of the Andes is edible. The sour cucumber tree or cream of tartar tree is Adansonia Gregorii. The fruit contains tartaric acid. Five or 6 genera are in cultivation in this country in the South and in greenhouses: Adansonia (Boabab Tree, Monkey's Bread); Bombax (Silk Cotton Tree); Chorisia (Floss-silk Tree); Eriodendron; Pachira. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Bombacaceae
Bombax flower
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Bombacaceae
Genera
See text.

The name Bombacaceae is a botanical name at the rank of family and, as is true for any botanical name, circumscription and status of the taxon varies with taxonomic point of view. The family name is based on the genus Bombax.

Recent phylogenetic research has shown that Bombacaceae as traditionally circumscribed (including tribe Durioneae) is not a monophyletic group. Bombacaceae is not recognized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group I 1998, II 2003 and Kubitzki system 2003 at the rank of family, the bulk of the taxa in question being treated as subfamily Bombacoideae within family Malvaceae sensu lato (see also Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae). A close relationship between Bombacaceae and Malvaceae has long been recognized but until recently the families have been kept separate in most classification systems, and continue to be separated in many references, including the newest reference work in classification of flowering plants: Heywood et. al. 2007 .

Heywood et. al. say "although closely related to Malvaceae, molecular data supports their separation. Only pollen and habit seem to provide a morphological basis for the separation."

As circumscribed in its traditional sense, the family Bombacaceae includes around 30 genera (25 genera after Heywood et. al. ) with about 250 species of tropical trees, some of considerable girth, so called "bottle trees". Many species grow to become large trees, with Ceiba pentandra the tallest, reaching a height to 70 m. Several of the genera are commercially important, producing timber, edible fruit or useful fibres. The family is noted for some of the softest hardwoods commercially traded, especially Balsa, Ochroma lagopus. The fruit of the Durian, Durio zibethinus is famous, tasting better than it smells. At one time the fibre from the Kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra was used in making lifebuoys. The Baobabs or "Bottle trees" (Adansonia spp.) are important icons in certain parts of Africa, Australia and Madagascar, noted for their immensely stout trunk development, a mechanism for enhancing water storage.

Genera

• Adansonia L.
• Aguiaria Ducke
• Bernoullia Oliv.
• Bombax L.
• Catostemma Benth.
• Cavanillesia Ruiz & Pav.
• Ceiba Mill.
• Chiranthodendron Larreat. (according to Kubitzki in subf. Bombacoideae and considered more closely related to Fremontodendron by Baum et al. 2004 )
• Eriotheca Schott & Endl.
• Fremontodendron Coville (according to Heywood et. al. )
• Gyranthera Pittier
• Huberodendron Ducke
• Matisia Bonpl.
• Neobuchia Urb.
• Ochroma Sw.
• Pachira Aubl.
• Patinoa Cuatrec.
• Pentaplaris L.O.Williams & Standl. (according to Kubitzki in subf. Bombacoideae, but incertae sedis )
• Phragmotheca Cuatrec.
• Pseudobombax Dugand
• Quararibea Aubl.
• Scleronema Benth.
• Septotheca Ulbr.
• Spirotheca Ulbr. (according to Heywood et. al. )

Genera of tribe Durioneae excluded from Bombacaceae after Heywood et al. 2007 and that should be included in Durionaceae

• Boschia Korth.
• Coelostegia Benth.
• Cullenia Wight
• Durio Adans.
• Kostermansia Soegeng
• Neesia Blume

Genus that should be excluded from Bombacaceae after Heywood et al. 2007 and that be included in Malvaceae s. s.

• Camptostemon Mast.

Genera considered synonym after Kubitzki 2003

• Bombacopsis Pittier = Pachira Aubl.
• Chorisia Kunth = Ceiba Mill.
• Rhodognaphalon (Ulbr.) Roberty = Pachira Aubl.

Genus not treated in Kubitzki

• Lahia Hassk.

References

• Bombacaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards) The families of flowering plants: descriptions.