2022
ផ្លែគរ/ដើមគរ read as Kor, English/French name is Kapok, (Ceiba pentandra), also called Java cotton, ceiba, or Java kapok, silk-cotton, samauma, or ceiba.
The kapok is a tall tree of the tropical forest canopy and emergent layer. It is common species throughout the tropics, but it is native to Africa and was transported to Asia and then have been cultivated for its fiber, or floss. In full sun, the kapok can grow up to 4 meters (13 feet) per year, eventually reaching a height of 50 meters (164 feet). When it bears fruits, it has no leaves at all. Tree are grown countrywide.
Benefits:
- Young fruit, can be eaten - yummy
- Leaves (in the past) people scratch it with water and use its juice as a shampoo for hair washing.
- Fiber from ripe fruit use to stuff in the pillow/mattress – very soft and healthy. Very important and expensive too. A kilo of cotton from it is around 3$
- Tree as firewood
