About Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston
Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston is a flowering plant native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It grows as a small tree, reaching up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) in height, and is typically found in dry deciduous forests. The specific epithet religiosum comes from the use of this plant's flowers as temple offerings. It is commonly called the silk-cotton tree, because its seed capsules hold a fluffy, cotton-like substance that resembles kapok. It is also known as the buttercup tree, since its bright yellow flowers resemble large buttercups. In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is recorded as the Bodhi tree (the tree under which enlightenment is achieved) for the nineteenth Buddha, named Siddhaththa, which is written as සිද්ධත්ථ in Sinhala script. In the Sinhala language, this plant is called කිණිහිරියා (romanized as Kinihiriyaa), and it is called කණිකාර (romanized as Kanikaara) in Sanskrit.
