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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Balsa tree or Corkwood
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Balsa tree or Corkwood

    By SylviaAugust 18, 2021Updated:August 19, 2021No Comments10 Mins Read
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    Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the balsa tree or Corkwood, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae and is sole member of the genus Ochroma. The plant is widely distributed in tropical America; throughout the West Indies, and from southern Mexico, through Central America and into Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It is planted in many tropical countries, including tropical Africa (e.g. Cameroon and Zimbabwe) and South Africa. It has locally become naturalized. The tree is the source of balsa wood, a very lightweight material with many uses. The name balsa originates from the Spanish word for “raft.”

    Corkwood, West Indian balsa, Balsa, Bois flot, Corkwood, Downtree, Balsa wood, Balsa tree, Down tree, Cork tree, Ajaka, Baranda, Basilic des moines, Basilic sacre, Bidai, Brinda, Bryanda, Gaggera, Hsiang tsai, Kala tulsi, Kamangi and Kaphrao are some of the well-known common names of the tree. Balsa wood timber is considered as the lightest known commercial timber. It has a very wide range of applications but is probably best known as a material for making model planes etc. It has been extensively planted in many tropical areas, though 90% of all commercial supplies are grown in Ecuador. The tree is an excellent pioneer species for restoring native woodland and establishing woodland gardens. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental or to provide shade.

    Corkwood Facts

    Corkwood Quick Facts
    Name: Corkwood
    Scientific Name: Ochroma pyramidale
    Origin Tropical America; throughout the West Indies, and from southern Mexico, through Central America and into Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
    Colors Initially green turning to brown as they mature
    Shapes Cylindrical, ellipsoid, slightly curved capsule, longitudinally sulcate, loculicidal, 15 cm long and 8 mm wide, ribbed, 5-valved, dehiscent, densely woolly hairy inside
    Name Corkwood
    Scientific Name Ochroma pyramidale
    Native Widely distributed in tropical America; throughout the West Indies, and from southern Mexico, through Central America and into Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It is planted in many tropical countries, including tropical Africa (e.g. Cameroon and Zimbabwe) and South Africa. It has locally become naturalized
    Common Names Balsa Wood, Ajaka, Baranda, Basilic des moines, Basilic sacre, Bidai, Brinda, Bryanda, Gaggera, Hsiang tsai, Kala tulsi, Kamangi, Kaphrao, Katriin, Kom ko dong, Krishna tulasi, Loko-loko, Maeng-luk, Manjari, Mreah preu, Mreahs prow, Nalla tulasi, Parnasa, Patrapuspha, Ruku-ruku, Sacred balm, Saph’au, Sheng luo le, Sulasi, Suvasa tulasi, Tarp hao, Te marou, Thai basil, Trittavu, Tulasa, Tulasi chajadha, Tulsi, Tunrusi
    Name in Other Languages Afrikaans: Kurkhout
    Albanian: Dru tape
    Amharic: Bushiwudi (ቡሽዉድ)
    Arabic: Falayn (فلين), balzan haramiatan (بلزا هرمية)
    Armenian: Khts’anap’ayt (խցանափայտ)
    Azerbaijani: Mantar      
    Bengali: Sōlā (সোলা)
    Brazil: Pau-de-balsa
    Bulgarian: Korkovo dŭrvo (корково дърво)
    Burmese: Corkwood-ˈkôrkˌwo͝od
    Chinese: Ruǎnmù (软木), Qing mu (輕木),  Bai se mu,  Bai shai mu
    Croatian: Corkwood
    Czech: Lehké dřevo, balzovník jihoamerický
    Danish: Corkwood, Balsa, Balsatræ, Balsatræ
    Dominican Republic: lana
    Dutch: Kurkboom, Balsa, Balsahout
    English: Corkwood, West Indian balsa, Balsa, Bois flot, Corkwood, Downtree, Downtree, Balsa, Balsa wood, Balsa tree, Down tree, Cork tree
    Esperanto: Korko, Balzo
    Estonian: Korgipuu
    Filipino: Corkwood
    Finnish: Corkwood, Balsa, Balsapuu, balsa,
    French: Bois de liege, Balsa, Patte-de-liève, Balsa, Bois de balsa, bois flot, bois liège
    Galician: Balsa
    Georgian: Korp’is khe (კორპის ხე), balsa (ბალსა)
    German: Korkholz, Balsabaum, Balsa, Balsaholz, Pyramiden, Pyramidenbalsabaum
    Greek: Fellós (φελλός)
    Gujarati: Kakrkavuḍa (કkર્કવુડ)
    Haitian: Mawodenn, flè mahodèm; koton swa
    Hausa: Katako  
    Hebrew: קורקווד               , בלזה
    Hindi: Corkwood-ˈkôrkˌwo͝od
    Hungarian: Parafa, Balsafa
    Icelandic: Korkur             
    Indonesian: Kayu gabus, Balsa
    Irish: Corc-choill, Balsa
    Italian: Corkwood, Balsa, Legno di balsa, legno sughero
    Japanese: Korukuuddo (コルクウッド), Ba ru sa (バルサ)
    Javanese: Corkwood
    Kannada: Kārkvuḍ (ಕಾರ್ಕ್ವುಡ್)
    Kazakh: Trotuar (тротуар)
    Komi: Balʹsa (Бальса)
    Korean: Koleukeu (코르크), balsa (발사)
    Kurdish: Corkwood
    Lao: Mai khok (ໄມ້ຄອກ)
    Latin: Corkwood
    Latvian: Korķa koksne
    Lingua Franca Nova: Balsa
    Lithuanian: Kamštinė mediena, Kūginė balza
    Macedonian: Pluta drvo (плута дрво)
    Malagasy: Corkwood
    Malay: Corkwood
    Malayalam: Kēārkkvuḍ (കോർക്ക്വുഡ്), bālsa (ബാൽസ)
    Maltese: Sufra
    Marathi: Korkavud (कॉर्कवुड)
    Mongolian: Uisen mod (үйсэн мод)
    Nepali: Karkavud (कर्कवुड)
    Norwegian: Corkwood, Balsatre
    Oriya: କର୍କଉଡ୍
    Pashto: کورک ووډ
    Persian: چوب چوب پنبه, درخت بالسا
    Polish: Drewno korkowe, Ogorzałka wełnista
    Portuguese: Sobreiro, Algodoeiro, Algodão bravo, Pau de balsa, Balsa, Madeira de balsa, pata-de-lebre, pau-de-jangada, topa, pão-de-balsa 
    Punjabi: Kārkavuḍa (ਕਾਰ੍ਕਵੁੱਡ)
    Quechua: Yawar wiqi
    Romanian: Corkwood, Balsa
    Russian: Probkovoye derevo (пробковое дерево), Balʹsa (Бальса
    Serbian: Corkvood (цорквоод)
    Sindhi: سائيڪو
    Sinhala: Kōkvuḍ (කෝක්වුඩ්)
    Slovenian: Plutovina
    Spanish: Bosque de tapón, Balsa, Madera de balsa, Balzovec, guano, balsa, balso real, cajete, cojejo, corcho, gatillo, lana, tambor, lanilla, pochote
    Sudanese: Corkwood
    Swedish: Korktrad, Balsa
    Tajik: Kandakorj (кандакорй)
    Tamil: Kārkvuṭ (கார்க்வுட்), Mirutuvāṉa maram (மிருதுவான மரம்)
    Telugu: Corkwood (kôrkwo͝od)
    Thai: Corkwood (kôrkwo͝od)
    Turkish: Mantar ağacı kerestesi
    Udmurt: Balʹsa (Бальса)
    Ukrainian: Probkovi dereva (пробкові дерева), Bal’sove derevo (Бальсове дерево)
    Urdu: کارک ووڈ
    Uzbek: O’rmon daraxti 
    Vietnamese: Gỗ bần
    Welsh: Corcwood
    Zulu: Ukhuni
    Plant Growth Habit Deciduous or evergreen, fast growing, short lived, medium-sized tree
    Growing Climates Moist, lowland, limestone forest, margins of lakes or in disturbed areas, rare in the older forest
    Soil Found mainly on fertile, bottom-land soils along the sides of streams
    Plant Size 60 to 90 ft. high and 2.5 to 4 ft. in diameter. On the best sites may reach a height of 80 ft. and a diameter of 2.5 ft. in 5 years. It has been known to grow even faster on very rich soils
    Bole Straight, usually short, cylindrical, up to 100(–180) cm in diameter, with short buttresses in older trees
    Bark Bark surface is smooth, grey-white mottled
    Leaf Simple, spirally arranged towards the ends of the twigs. Lamina is broadly cordate, 10-26 cm long and 14-30 cm wide, thin coriaceous ± entire or angularly lobed
    Flower Solitary, lateral or axillary, on a stout, fleshy pedicel 7 mm diameter and 10 cm long.  Calyx is tubular to funnel-shaped, 7 cm long, apically with 5 dilated lobes 1.5-2 cm long
    Fruit Shape & Size Cylindrical, ellipsoid, slightly curved capsule, longitudinally sulcate, loculicidal, 15 cm long and 8 mm wide, ribbed, 5-valved, dehiscent, densely woolly hairy inside
    Fruit Color Initially green turning to brown as they mature
    Seed Black, pear-shaped, 4–5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, embedded in a mass of brown woolly hairs
    Propagation By seed
    Lifespan Around 30 to 40 years in the wild
    Traditional Medicinal Uses
    • The root bark is emetic.
    • Indigenous Peoples use its leaves in infusions to cure some diseases.

    Plant Description

    Balsa tree or Corkwood is a deciduous or evergreen, fast growing, short lived, medium-sized tree that normally grows about 60 to 90 ft. tall and 2.5 to 4 ft. in diameter. On the best sites it may reach a height of 80 ft. and a diameter of 2.5 ft. in 5 years. It has been known to grow even faster on very rich soils. Bole is straight, usually short, cylindrical, up to 100(–180) cm in diameter, with short buttresses in older trees. Bark surface is smooth, grey-white mottled. Crown is spreading and large. Branchlets are stellate and hairy. The plant is found growing in moist, lowland, limestone forest, margins of lakes or in disturbed areas and is rare in the older forest. The tree is mostly found on fertile, bottom-land soils along the sides of streams. It is classified as a hardwood despite the wood itself being very soft. It is the softest commercial hardwood and is widely used because it is light weight.

    Leaves

    Leaves are simple, spirally arranged towards the ends of the twigs. Lamina is broadly cordate, 10-26 cm long and 14-30 cm wide, thin coriaceous ± entire or angularly lobed. Apex is obtuse to acuminate, base rounded to cordate, persistently densely stellate-tomentose below, glabrescent above, midrib and main veins slightly raised to sulcate above, strongly prominent below; venation 5-7-palmate at the base, mid vein with 4-6 lateral veins. Petiole is terete, 2-4 mm diameter and 12-20 cm long, moderately stellate-tomentose even on mature leaves, ± dilated apically; stipules ± deltoid, to 10 mm long, densely tomentosa and caduceus.

    Leaves-of-Corkwood Leaves-of-Corkwood
    Closer-view-of-flower-of-Corkwood Closer-view-of-flower-of-Corkwood
    Immature-fruits-of-Corkwood Immature-fruits-of-Corkwood
    Flower-of-Corkwood Flower-of-Corkwood
    Corkwood-plant-growing-wild Corkwood-plant-growing-wild
    Bark-of-Corkwood Bark-of-Corkwood
    Mature-and-immature-fruits-of-Corkwood Mature-and-immature-fruits-of-Corkwood
    Plant-Illustration-of-Corkwood Plant-Illustration-of-Corkwood
    Seeds-of-Corkwood Seeds-of-Corkwood
    Sketch-of-Corkwood Sketch-of-Corkwood
    Small-Corkwood-Plant Small-Corkwood-Plant
    Trunk-of-Corkwood Trunk-of-Corkwood
    Corkwood Image Gallery

    Flowers

    Flowers are solitary, lateral or axillary, on a stout, fleshy pedicel 7 mm diameter and 10 cm long.  Calyx is tubular to funnel-shaped, 7 cm long, apically with 5 dilated lobes 1.5-2 cm long, appearing deeply carinate externally in dried material, externally stellate-tomentose, internally wooly, decurrent with pedicel and subtended by 3 caducous bracteoles that leave prominent scars.  Petals 5, contorted in bud, orange-yellow, clavate, 13 cm long and 5 cm wide, externally stellate-tomentose, glabrescent basally, internally glabrous. Stamens are connate into a glabrous tube 11 cm long, the distal half being slightly dilated and densely covered with sessile long wavy anthers.  Ovary is sessile, glabrous, conical, 8 cm high, 5-locular. Style is 15 cm long with an apical twisted cylindrical stigmatic mass 3 cm long and 8 mm wide.

    Fruit

    Fertile flowers are followed by cylindrical, ellipsoid, slightly curved capsule, longitudinally sulcate, loculicidal, 15 cm long and 8 mm wide, ribbed, 5-valved, dehiscent, densely woolly hairy inside.  Seeds are black, pear-shaped, 4–5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, embedded in a mass of brown woolly hairs.

    Different Facts of Balsa tree or Corkwood

    • The woolly fiber contained in the seedpods has occasionally been used like kapok as a stuffing material in pillows and mattresses.
    • The fiber obtained from the bark has been used to make ropes.
    • The grain is straight; texture coarse and even; the luster silky.
    • The wood is very soft and weak, but with a good strength to weight ratio, and that from old trees tends to be brittle.
    • It is non-durable and prone to attack by Anobium and Lyctus borers, termites and longhorn beetles.
    • The wood is very easy to work with hand and machine tools, but sharp tools are needed to prevent crumbling.
    • The pulp can be easily bleached without loss of strength, making it suitable for printing and writing papers.
    • The extremely lightweight wood is used for floats, buoys, lifejackets and life-belts, surf boards, aircraft construction, ship and boat building, lightweight boxes, toys, model making, laboratory mounting boards, core stock in sandwich construction, surgical splints, packaging of fragile articles and as insulation for temperature, vibration, sound and formerly also for electricity.
    • Slightly heavier wood is suitable for matches, Popsicle sticks and toothpicks, and for the production of pulp and paper.
    • Trees can commence flowering and producing viable seeds when 3 – 4 years old.
    • The tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental or to provide shade.
    • Indigenous Peoples carve elegant sculptures, build houses, boats and trays to prepare food, make toys such as stilts.
    • The Balsa plant has been used to build vessels for river transportation, which allowed Indigenous Peoples (according to some studies) to navigate great distances.
    • Light wood of the Balsa is used mainly to make surfboards and scale airplanes for model airplanes.

    Precautions

    • Corkwood tree is unsafe when taken by mouth. It can cause death.
    • Corkwood tree can cause many side effects including dry mouth, decreased perspiration, dilation of pupils, blurred vision, red, dry skin, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, difficulty urinating, hallucinations, spasms, acute psychosis, convulsions, and coma.
    • Overdose poisoning symptoms include sleepiness followed by restlessness, hallucinations, delirium, and manic episodes followed by exhaustion and sleep.
    • It’s unsafe for anyone, including pregnant or breast-feeding women, to take corkwood tree.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=21602#null

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/ochroma_pyramidale.htm

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ochroma+pyramidale

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/36974

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2401123

    https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/264296

    https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Ochroma_pyramidale_(PROTA)

    http://www.narc.gov.jo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=25473

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochroma

    https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ochroma+pyramidale

    https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=OCPY

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/OCHLA

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    Corkwood Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Ochroma pyramidale

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Sub Division Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Dilleniidae
    Super Order Rosanae
    Order Malvales
    Family Bombacaceae (Kapok-tree family)
    Genus Ochroma Sw. (ochroma)
    Species Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb.  (West Indian balsa)
    Synonyms
    • Bombax angulatum Sessé & Moc.
    • Bombax pyramidale Cav.
    • Bombax pyramidale Cav. ex Lam.
    • Bombax pyramidatum Steud.
    • Ochroma bicolor Rowlee
    • Ochroma boliviana Rowlee
    • Ochroma concolor Rowlee
    • Ochroma grandiflora Rowlee
    • Ochroma lagopodum St.-Lag.
    • Ochroma lagopus Sw.
    • Ochroma lagopus var. bicolor (Rowlee) Standl. & Steyerm.
    • Ochroma lagopus var. occigranatense Cuatrec.
    • Ochroma lagopus var. occigranatensis Cuatrec.
    • Ochroma limonense Rowlee
    • Ochroma limonensis Rowlee
    • Ochroma obtusa Rowlee
    • Ochroma peruviana I.M.Johnst.
    • Ochroma pyramidale var. bicolor (Rowlee) Brizicky
    • Ochroma pyramidale var. concolor (Rowlee) R.E.Schult.
    • Ochroma tomentosa Willd.
    • Ochroma tomentosa var. ibarrensis Benoist
    • Ochroma tomentosum var. ibarrense Benoist
    • Ochroma velutina Rowlee
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