Cochlospermum religiosum

Cochlospermum religiosum is a flowering plant from the tropical region of Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a small tree growing to a height of 7.5 m (25 ft) usually found in dry deciduous forests. The name religiosum derives from the fact that the flowers are used as temple offerings. It is also known as silk-cotton tree because the capsules containing the seeds have a fluffy cotton-like substance similar to kapok. Another common name is buttercup tree because its yellow and bright flowers look like large-sized buttercups. In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have used as the tree for achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi by nineteenth Lord Buddha called 'Siddhaththa - සිද්ධත්ථ'. The plant is known as කිණිහිරියා (Kinihiriyaa) in Sinhala, and කණිකාර (Kanikaara) in Sanskrit.. Media related to Cochlospermum religiosum at Wikimedia Commons