kapok tree fibers

3D Model

Eriodendron anfractuosum DC., the species reported in the original label, is a synonim of Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn., 1791, the tree of “kapok”. Kapok is a natural fiber with incredible features. Its density is just of 0.35 g/cm³ makes it the lightest natural fiber in the world. This is due to the fact that kapok fiber has a hollow core, with approximately 80% air incorporated.

The pollen of the flowers of C. pentandra is appreciated by many species of animals, both nocturnal (bats, small marsupials, monkeys, and moths) and diurnal (bees, hummingbirds). Bats are however the main pollinators of this species.

This sample belongs to the collections of the Orto Botanico Hanbury of the University of Genova and was collected in 1897 in Java.

This model was realized by Glenda Cantale e Bahareh Chichahi during the Universal Civil Service (SCU) at the Genoa University