Flowering Tree

[Briggsy]

Can anyone help me out and identify this rather unusual tree. I took the photo in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai. It is not specifically a montane species as the tree was in the guest house garden at around 350m above sea level.

It has large red flowers and was full of different species of birds feeding on the nectar. It stands about 10-15m high.

Latin, English or Thai name will suffice. Thanks if you can help out.

[kurgen]

I believe the latin name is Biggus Reddus not sure what that means in English though

[Briggsy]

Hmmm

[BambinA]

It looks like "Ngeiw" งิ้ว for me

Thai names -Ngeiw ,Ngiew Daeng

Common Name - Kapok Tree, Cotton Tree, Red Cotton Tree, Silk Cotton Tree,Shving Brush

Scientific Name - Bombax ceiba , Bombax ceiba Linn

Edited January 7, 2007 by BambinA

[sbk]

I think you're right bambi, it does look like a kapok tree to me too, if so, it will form large pods filled with a cotton like substance. Commonly used for mattresses and pillows. We used to have one behind our house but the trunk was quite brittle and my father-in-law chopped it down for fear it might break in a high wind and hit our house.

[Briggsy]

It looks like "Ngeiw" งิ้ว for me

Thai names -Ngeiw ,Ngiew Daeng

Common Name - Kapok Tree, Cotton Tree, Red Cotton Tree, Silk Cotton Tree,Shving Brush

Scientific Name - Bombax ceiba

Thank you lai lai. Not only are you a cooking expert! I've heard the name before but never knew that was the tree!

Cheers, Briggsy

Now if you can just answer my BeerLao enquiry on the other forum

[Briggsy]

Is now the time of the year that they would come into bloom because it looks from my photo as if the flowers are just opening?

[sbk]

Sorry, Bombax ceiba is the Red Silk Cotton Tree, common Kapok is Ceiba Pentandra.

It is common for both to drop all their leaves when flowering. After and during flowering is when the pods will form.

I should add, for those interested interested in flowering trees, an excellent resource is a book called "Discovering trees and shrubs in Thailand and SE Asia" by Adrian & Jimmie Storrs. I bought mine at Asia books.

[chownah]

Bambina,

Is this the tree that they use the filaments (are they called stamens?) in the center of the flower in makeing the dish called nahm ngiew?

Chownah

[Briggsy]

Bambina,

Is this the tree that they use the filaments (are they called stamens?) in the center of the flower in makeing the dish called nahm ngiew?

Chownah

I'm not Bambina but I don't think this is the same plant because a) the Thai spelling is different "Ngew" vs "Ngeeow" and the "Ngew Daeng" or cotton tree gets no mention for naam ngeeow in my Plants from the markets of Thailand.

Rather the flowers are used to treat burns apparently!

[Briggsy]

Bambina,

Is this the tree that they use the filaments (are they called stamens?) in the center of the flower in makeing the dish called nahm ngiew?

Chownah

I'm not Bambina but I don't think this is the same plant because a) the Thai spelling is different "Ngew" vs "Ngeeow" and the "Ngew Daeng" or cotton tree gets no mention for naam ngeeow in my Plants from the markets of Thailand.

Rather the flowers are used to treat burns apparently!

OOPs I'm wrong. Dork ngew are in fact used in naam ngeeow. Sorry.

[BambinA]

Bambina,

Is this the tree that they use the filaments (are they called stamens?) in the center of the flower in makeing the dish called nahm ngiew?

Chownah

I'm not Bambina but I don't think this is the same plant because a) the Thai spelling is different "Ngew" vs "Ngeeow" and the "Ngew Daeng" or cotton tree gets no mention for naam ngeeow in my Plants from the markets of Thailand.

Rather the flowers are used to treat burns apparently!

Hi Guys,

Chownah makes me really curious ,so i google about the story of Kanom Jien Num Ngeeow.

and i found out "Num Ngeeow" has "Ngeiw Flower as an ingredient"

follow the lanna website http://lanna.mju.ac.th/lannaunique_food_de....php?recordID=2

" Sometime we call "Num Ngeeow" as "Num Ngiew" coz there is Ngiew Daeng's filaments in the ingredient

When we call "Num Ngeeow" , we scope in the ethic "Tai Yai"

When we call "Num Ngiew", we scope in the ingredient

อนึ่ง คำว่า น้ำเงี้ยว นี้มีผู้เรียกว่า น้ำงิ้ว อีกด้วย ทั้งนี้อาจเป็นเพราะว่าในการปรุงนั้นใช้เกสรดอกงิ้วชนิดดอกแดงตากแห้งใส่ลงไปด้วย โดยกล่าวว่าเป็นสูตรของ เงี้ยว หรือชาวไทใหญ่ ในกรณีนี้ หากเรียก น้ำเงี้ยว ก็เล็งถึงที่มาของชนเผ่าผู้คิดสูตรในการปรุง แต่หากเรียก น้ำงิ้ว ก็หมายถึงเรียกส่วนประกอบสำคัญในการปรุง

Ngeiw Flower

Take pedals off

tear its filaments

sun dried filaments

Edited January 9, 2007 by BambinA

[Briggsy]

This is becoming a truly excellently informative thread. Thank you Bambina.

I found in a book today that these Ngew Daeng trees are " a common roadside sight in Northern Thailand though rarely found in forest."

The principal reason I was curious about it, apart from its unique look, was that it was 'plastered' in feeding squirrels (at least 2 species "grarork and gratae") and birds, 3 types of which it was unusual to see next to a main road (hair-crested drongo, chestnut-tailed starling and rufous treepie). They must like "naam ngeeow" too!