Chorisia Speciosa Flower Variations

These are a series of images of five Floss Silk Tree flower variations. All five of these pictures were taken in or near the city of Malaga in Southern Spain.
The trees that these flowers were found on all had very similar characteristics and they all bloomed at about the same time. At first I thought that the creamy white flower below might be a Chorisia Insignis but if you compare the two it looks a lot more like a C. Speciosa. Let me know if you judge otherwise.

Some of the flowers are a bit wavy along the edges of the petals while others have a straight even edge.
External links

http://www.tenthousandtrees.com/Bombacaceae/Chorisia%20Speciosa.html

12 comments:

  1. If you would like to use my picture please link it to the site. My friend Tim bought it from a grower in California. The petals are the widest that I have ever seen. Check it out:
    http://togofcoralgables.com/TinsPlace.aspx

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  2. Dan: thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving your comments. This blog of yours is fascinating. I'll dig in a little deeper when after I come up for air!

    I love the variations on the Chorisia flowers, especially the one that fades to yellow. The characteristics do look more like C. speciosa and C. insignis. I have a close friend who's the curator for Lotusland in Montecito CA. It's a fabulous estate and non-profit foundation with an amazing array of plantings. If you're not familiar with the place, it's worth a Google adventure. I'm sure she'll find this interesting and might be able to shed some light on the variations.

    Be well. I'll place a link to your tree site on my page.

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  3. Thanks for leaving a message on Monte Carlo Daily Photo.

    Your photographs of the Silk Floss Tree are just beautiful. I had no idea there were these different variations. Thanks v much for letting me know.

    This is such a beautiful tree. One of the most beautiful, surely?

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  4. Hello Dan, Looking for a tree with thorns, I only got results for chorisia/ceiba speciosa, which seems like a very nice tree but not the one I'm looking for. I saw this tree on a hike this w-e (I live in northern Taiwan). The trees were on the outskirts of the forest, were not very tall, 3-4 meters tops, and the trunks were about 6 to 10cm in diameter. The most striking thing about these trees is that their trunks are covered with nipple shaped thorns. The branches were few and just on the top of the trees. I have some pictures, but I don't know how to post them here. It would be great if you could help me identify this tree.

    Thanks,

    Laura

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  5. Laura,
    You can email me the pictures to...

    treespecies { at } gmail dot com

    or you could post the pictures to Flickr or Picasa or the like and give me the URL link to where they are posted.
    Dan

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  6. Hi, Dan,

    I'm writing a post on the Silk Floss tree, and I am curious why it's called "Palo borracho," or drunken tree. Have you every heard any reasons why it's called that?

    I've read the trunk described as "bottle-shaped" - and I've also read that, even though drought tolerant, when water is available it really takes it in....but "drunken tree" is a pretty colorful name - there must be a reason.

    I see you're still writing some wonderful tree posts!

    Keep it up

    g at
    www.doves2day.blogspot.com

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  7. The only explanation that I can find for the Spanish name "Palo Borracho" is that the trunk was considered to have a similar shape to that of a beer or liquor bottle. One interesting little bit that I found was that the first of these trees planted in a botanical garden was mistakenly labeled as "Arbol el Vino".

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  8. Hello Dan,
    I have been in love with a tree in my neighborhood for a few years, and now have a spot to plant a new tree. I would LOVE to have this tree in my yard.

    Would you mind looking at photos I have taken of this tree, and let me know what it is if you can?

    I think it is either a Chorisia Insignis or a Ceiba species, but I really cannot tell. It flowers in October here in Covina CA. It just began flowering in the last two weeks.

    Thank you in advance,
    Noelle

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    Replies
    1. Do you have pictures of the tree posted anywhere?

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    2. Hi Dan,
      No, but I can email them if you like. Just let me know. Thank you!
      Noelle

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